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DIAE "X 



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1865. 



By POET E . 

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N E W YORK: 
MARSH'S PRINT, 110 DIVISION STBJ 

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Inscribed' to 

At whose request these Notes have been prepared, 

AS A TESTIMONY OF THE 

GRATITUDE, ESTEEM, AND AFFECTION 

OF HIS F K I J: S D 

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NOTE. 

A brief -explanation may be expected la refereno to the contents if the I ilowas* 1 
pages. 11 te Diary was written almost daily in those cities and regions where it puj 
in nave be ea written, solely for the future reference and satisfaction of the writer, as : . 
without a thought of its ever being seen by any other than his own eye. But, a i. . . 
ate d, a reque-rt was made (coming from a source not to be disregarded) that tha 
shoi|ild be written out just as tin ij were taken, though somi what fuller. 1 his r - 
has been, as far as possible, complied with, ami may account for any expres ion 
w hicb mi;,'lit he deemed too personal, or too juvenile in their interpretation of the en 
giastic feelings of the persons concerned. A further apology might [perhaps be urged, in 
tousideration of the fact, that the first few pages of the Diary were written without ?•> 
lion that they were to be put into print even for private circulation ; 
that the whole has been hastily prepare!: and the latter portion during the unprece- 
dented ej.it of the present i-ramer. 

S. P, V. r ., Jr.. 

JULT, 16GC. 



T) I A !R Y". 



Friday, June 23, 1865. — About S o'clock reached the 
side of the steamer " Lafayette," Capt. Bocande, accom- 
panied by our friends ; and for an hour were spectators of 
the usual scenes to be witnessed on the departure of an 
ocean-bound steamship. At 9 o'clock, precisely, the last 
farewells were spoken, and the plank, which was to sepa- 
rate some forever from those whom they loved, was low- 
ered. Quietly we glided out upon the water, and were 
soon out of sight and hearing of those who had kindly 
accompanied us to the ship to wish us " bon voyage." 
And now it is evening, and our first day at sea is about 
ended. It has been a magnificent one ; sea smooth, sky 
clear, and breeze refreshing. The deck has worn the as- 
pect of the piazza of some summer resort ; people of va- 
rious ages and characters walking, sitting, reading and 
talking, and children running and romping about the ves- 
sel. 

Sunday, June 25. — Notwithstanding we set sail on 
Friday, our voyage promises to be more than a " lucky" 
one. The sea continues calm, and the weather delightful. 
But it is not at all like Sunday. Some playing chess, 
others enjoying a game of cards, and the greater portion 
reading their novels. A few have their Bibles or books of 
religious poetry, but they are very few in number. Some 



4 DIART, 

of us have not slept much during the past two nights, 
owing to the novelty of our situation, and consequently 
feel much inclined to drowsiness. Up to the hour of noon, 
yesterday, we had made 248 miles, and to day at 12 o'clock 
had made 2G6 miles additional. 

Monday, June 26, — Our table acquaintance, M. Corner 
Tins De Boom, informed us this morning that during all 
his numerous voyages across the seas, he had never 
known such quiet, delightful weather, to continue for four 
consecutive days. Mrs. B. not inappropriately calls it 
" river sailing." Our sea life continues the same as may be 
seen from the following rhyme, which may pass far what; 
it is worth. 

On the "stormy Atlantic" thia letter I rhyme, 
Anil although done in part to wile away time, 
I trust it will furnish some sort of idea 
How we live, while across the ocean we steer. 
The lives that we live are the lives of those men. 
Who live for the present, nor labor to ken 
The fears and the troubles the future may bring, 
Living only for pleasure, and striving to fling 
All saddening, sobering thoughts to the wind. 

We sit upon deck, and pace o'er its floor ; 

We talk, and we read, and list to the roar • 

Of the wavelets, whose tops shine bright in the sun ; 

As bright as the faces of children who run, 

To and fro o'er the deck and serve to beguile 

A dull hour, now and then, for those who can smile 

Upon them, and thus win their young heart's affection. 

And perchance from their spirits receive the reflection. 

Lo here on the ocean, within a frail shell, 
Four hundred inhabitants eat, drink and dwell I 
Each and all of us strive to fill up our'days 
Just as we feel moved — in various ways — 
The quiet people read, the social ones talk, 
The weaiied ones sleep and the. restless ones walk j 
The idle ones lounge, and the dreamy ones smoke, 
The ennuyed play cards and the funny ones joke, 
And thus in one way and another all find 
Employment of some sort for body and mind. 



1 The " roar of the wavelet" is not usually very loud. 



DIARY. 5 

Tuesday, June 27. — America is a thousand miles behind 
us ! Still another superb day and sea almost as smooth 
as glass. Evening — None of us dreamed this morning 
how eventful this day was to become ! About 5 o'clock, 
just as we had finished our " second course" and were 
laughing and chatting over our dinners, the Captain dis- 
appeared from the table, and our attention was suddenly 
arrested by the exclamation of " a wreck ! a wreck !" In 
a moment nearly every soul was on the deck, and all were 
straining their eyes to get a glimpse of " the wreck." 
We expected to see an old hull, or some blackened rem- 
nant of a ship ; but we saw only a small row boat, rising 
and sinking again in the swell of the sea, as it made to- 
ward our ship. At first some of us were disappointed, but 
then came the realization that the little boat making to- 
ward our ship was a thousand miles from land, upon a 
treacherous sea and contained human beings who were, 
perhaps, famishing for want of food. The excitement 
caused by the agitation of several hundred people who 
running hither and thither to obtain a view of the ap- 
proaching boat, may be more easily remembered by those 
of us who were eye-witnesses of the scene, and better 
imagined by those who were not-^than described. Anx- 
iously we waited for the little boat. At length it came 
alongside ; the steps were lowered, and one by one the 
poor creatures were assisted to mount to the deck of the 
" Lafayette." No doubt it seemed to them as solid and 
safe as terra jirma. 

Their heart-rending tale was soon told. The ship 
" William Nelson," from Antwerp had been burnt the day 
before, about noon, hundreds had perished miserably, and 
1 jiese and a few others were all of the -500 souls on board the 



v» 



<1 DIARY. 

ill-fated vessel who had been or would probably he saved. 
They were taken to the second-class eabin and fed and 
clothed. At first some were unable to taste food, so over- 
joyed were they at their resent 1 from a watery grave ; 
while others were weeping for husbands and brothers 
whom they should see no more. The passengers robbed 
their own wardrobes for clothing to cover the poor crea- 
tines, many of whom were drenched to the skin. Later 
in the evening a second boat load was received on board 
| the " Lafayette," and the Captain having ascertained the 
location in which the ship was burned, changed his course 
and sailed in a southerly direction. About dark we came 
in sisjrht of a Russian frigate, and about the same time de- 
scried a third small boat quite near the vessel. Before we 
came sufficiently near to speak the frigate she had received 
the third boat's company on board. But all were subse- 
quently transferred to the " Lafayette" ; the whole num- 
ber being 43 souls. There was something strange in this 
intercourse on the ocean, and the transferrence of human 
beings from one ship to another ! Among these saved 
were an entire family, father, mother and lour children ; 
tin' youngest but three months old. The father said in his 
own simple way, that " he did not kaow what he had 
done to God that he should be so good to him." Why 
were those lew out of so large a company the only ones 
« ived ? It may be they were to fulfill a destiny. It may 
be we shall hear of some of them again. Until 11 o'clock 
the Captain of our ship sailed in a southerly direction, and 
.at intervals fired rockets and cannon, hoping by these 
means to attract the attention of any survivors who might 
be floating about in the sea and thus save them from a 
watery grave. But all in vain. The only response to the 



DIARY. ? 

booming of the cannon was the dull heavy feeling in our 
hearts. 

Wednesday, June 2S. — The thrilling scenes and incidents 
connected with the rescue occupy the thoughts and 
tongues of all on board, and we have more detailed ac- 
counts of the tragical scenes enacted before the eyes of 
those who were, two days ago, in the midst of the flames, 
which wrapt their vessel in a fiery shroud. In the after- 
noon there was a large assemblage of the passengers to 
witness the baptism of the youngest of all the survivors ; 
an infant born upon the sea, and to whom was given the 
name of Lafayette Bocande, the names of the ship and 
Captain who saved him from a premature grave. Dr.' 
King took the principal part in the unusual and touching 
scene, reading the baptismal service with great impressive- 
ness, while our noble Captain held this child of the ocean 
in his arms. The weeping mother sat near, and at the 
close of the ceremony received and embraced the wonder- 
ing and scarce conscious child. A subscription was then 
taken, and several thousand francs were collected by 
Madam Stoeckl, Judge Edwards Pierrepont and M. de'Boom, 
who had been appointed to act in the matter, and was distrib- 
uted by them among the destitute passengers of the Nelson. 
Never was aid more spontaneously and gladly contributed, 
nor sympathy extended more heartily. Not raiment and 
gold alone were offered ; but tears flowed for those sorrow- 
ing ones ; they were visited in their loneliness and kind 
words were spoken to their aching hearts. We could not 
forget, that although the greatest boon of all, their lives, 
had been spared, yet they had lost those who were well 
nigh as dear to them as their own lives — their brothers, 
husbands, friends. 



S DIAliY. 

Monday, July 3. — We have passed a somewhat miserable 
day. Those who have been wishing for a storm have been 
gratified. The wind blows, the rain falls, and our vessel is 
rolling in a heavy sea. The initiated tell ns it is not much 
of a storm ; but those of us who have never before wit- 
nessed an upheaving of the ocean are somewhat incredu- 
lous. Only four or five ladies qf the fifty on board present- 
ed themselves at the table, and not a few strong men are 
not to be found. Although not sick, (of course), our ap- 
petites were somewhat impaired, and a ship biscuit was suf- 
ficient to satisfy all cravings. All who were wise kept 
near as possible to the open deck, and diverted themselves 
by listening to the talk of others, yielding no attention to 
the claims of the inward man. The storm continued with- 
out abatement during the day. The dinner table presen- 
ted the same dreary spectacle of deserted seats. For the 
first time since we started upon our voyage, the casings 
were put upon the table to prevent us from being drench- 
ed with claret, or having the contents of our plates diverted 
from their original destination. The greater portion of the 
company, however seemed more in danger of getting drunk 
than of taking much temperate food and drink, judging 
from the frequent calls upon the stewards for brandy and 
water — but necessity knows no law. 

Tuesday, July 4, — The morning was so bright that its 
light struggled through the port holes, and we knew it 
was a " Glorious Fourth " before we reached the deck. 
But we had more substantial reason to remember the day, 
and proof that our good captain remembered it too. In 
more than one way was it celebrated, not only by cham- 
pagne and speechifying but by the firing of cannon, and 



D1ABT. 9 

the elevation of the stars and stripes to the masthead. And 
was it not meet when the name of our vessel was " La- 
fayette" that the event, which the gallant Marquis had once 
joined in celebrating, and for the consummation of which he 
had fought, should be appropriately commemorated on this 
particular day, when, after four years of sanguinary war 
peace had dawned once more upon the land ! Be it as it 
may, it was celebrated with a will. Young America in- 
spired somewhat, it may be, by artificial stimulant cheered 
the flag with much spirit, and sang in chorus a number of 
patriotic airs. Nor was Captain Bocande forgotten. He 
and other officers of the ship, were, in a double sense, cor- 
dially remembered. Some of the toasts were, " The United 
States," " France," " The Empereur" and " Bocande." 
and so with the return of fine weather, the consciousness 
that we were hearing our journey's end, and the hopes the 
future held out to us we are all in good spirits; 

Nine o'clock, P. M. — This day has been 1 doubly cele- 
brated ! Columbus, on his arrival at the new world saw a 
light upon the land, although he could not see the land 
itself. And we have seen a light on the shores of the old 
world to-night ! It is as a star of promise and causes our 
hearts to rejoice. It seems to be beckoning us onward, 
assuring us that we are soon to realize the dream of years. 

Wednesday, July 6th. — Evening. We have left the 
ocean behind us ; have visited the harbor of Brest, where 
some hundred or more passengers went ashore, and are 
now steaming as rapidly as possible through the English 
Channel for Havre. May God, who has in mercy piloted 
us across three thousand miles of sea, grant us a safe ar- 
rival at the desired haven. We have enjoyed almost every 

2 



10 t>IARV. 

hour of our days on board, and shall not be as eager to leaftf 
the ship as all would have been had we not experienced 
an almost unparalelled succession of bright, beautiful 
days, good company and good fare. Nevertheless we shall 
be most glad to tread upon terra firma once more, and to> 
behold a new country. 

Havre, July 6th, 2 P. M. — We can scarcely realize that 
we are seated quietly in a veritable French hotel ; that 
time and steam have, in so brief a period, separated us so 1 
wudely from our homes. At ten we anchored in the chan- 
nel, and about twelve stepped upon French territory, and 
were soon afterward driven to the " Hotel de "Europa." 
As we left the ship, the captain stood at the helm and 
waved his chapeau, and the French flag was lowered to 
the surface of the water, and raised to its place again, as a 
final salute. 

Good ship " Lafayette !" thou hast borne us safely over 
the wide, wide sea, and we shall not soon forget thee. 
May all who shall hereafter tread thy decks receive like 
comfort, courtesy and safe transportation ! As w r e passed 
through "the gates," the people collected to see us land. 
The soldiers were the exact counterpart, in appearance,' 
to the representations of them in the colored picture- 
books we^ had so often seen at home. The houses, how- 
ever, were entirely different, and prevent one from forget- 
tin for a moment that he is in a foreign country. The 
hotel is old, but the best ; our rooms look into the little 
paved court, from whence come the sound of the familiar 
voices of many of our comjiagnions du voyage, commingled 
with the lively clatter of the native tongue. The " Rue 
de Paris," whereon the hotel is located, is a pleasant street, 
lined with shops. Beneath one of the windows on th« 



DIARY. 11 

opposite side of the street is painted in large Roman char- 
acters, of a yellow color, " English Spoken." But we 
shall do our shopping in Paris, whither we expect to go 
to-morrow, and only tarry here to see a mend, and collect 
our turbulent thoughts. The sun has shown constantly 
since our arrival. France has given us a bright re- 
ception. 

Saturday, July Stk, a? Rouen. — What new and enjoyable 
sights, sounds, and experiences have been crowded into 
three short days ! We have taken our first continental- 
journey in the luxurious railroad carriages of the country — 
have seen the women at work in the fields — the old wooden 
windmills, and the thatched roofs of the mud houses. 
In this fine old city, which we had intended to leave un- 
visited, we have seen the spot whereon Joan of Arc was 
burned, the famous Hotel de Ville, a gloomy pile of brick 
and stone, and other places which demand especial men- 
tion. Having examined the exterior of several of the 
principal public buildings, we drove to the Church of St. 
Ouen, where we spent an hour in viewing pictures of 
various merit — in studying the grand yet delicate archi- 
tecture of this magnificent edifice — -in looking at the beau- 
tiful stained glass windows, and in contemplating the 
church as a whole. The major-domo who conducted us 
through the building aided us considerably to obtain a 
just conception of its size and beauty- The enclosed altar 
was too sacred a place for the feet of heretics ; but we 
went into many of the little side chapels, in most of which 
were confessionals. A picture in one of them was worthy 
of attention. It was a representation of the devil ; the 
form, part man and part serpent, and the face so fascinating 
as to rivet the attention of the beholder. How much 



12 DLART. 

thought, labor and gold have been bestowed to render the 
false attractive, and uphold a superstitious worship ! Be-? 
fore we left, we were told to look into a fount of water, 
in which the church was mirrored. Of course it looked 
" up side down ;" but an opportunity was afforded of ob- 
serving the arched ceiling without the danger of dislo- 
cating one's neck. We shall ever recollect with enthu- 
siasm our visit to this grand old cathedral of St. Ouen of 
Rouen. To our mind, the Notre Dame, which is " the 
cathedral" of the city, is not so impressive, and the archi- 
tecture is more heavy and sombre. At the time we visited 
it, workmen were engaged in making repairs, and their 
presence and noise detracted somewhat from the interest 
the edifice would otherwise have inspired. 

In the afternoon we took a carriage to Mt. St. Catherine, 
on an eminence of which stands the new, handsome 
Church of the Lady of Bonsecours. The interior is exr 
tremely dazzling. The magnificent storied windows, which 
were given by the donors whose names and likenesses 
adorn one corner of them, form an important part of tho 
whole. The painting and gilding is of the most gorgeous 
description, and the church is altogether one of the gayest 
places for worship of any kind that we have ever seen. 

As much, if not more than the inspection of this church, 
did we enjoy the superb view of the valley of the Seine, 
including the town of Rouen, and several small hamlets. 
Looming up in the midst of the town was seen the tower 
of the Cathedral, surmounted by the iron spire which, 
from its great height, seemed to cleave the low clouds 
which were at the time moving rapidly over the city ; 
while below, the river winding through the picturesque 
valley, and studded with woody islands, enhanced the 



DIARY. IS 

beauty of the scene. Long will the picture be retained 
in our memory ! 

July Vth, Sunday. — Attended grand mass at the Notre 
Dame. We reached the cathedral just as the priests 
were marching through the aisles, chanting a part of the 
service as they walked, and elevating the cross between 
the lighted candlesticks. This ceremony over, the Romish 
service commenced : kneeling to the Holy Virgin, pray- 
ing, putting on and off of robes and caps, reading the 
Latin Lessons, swinging the incense, and so forth. Wearied 
with the monotonous tones of the priests, we found more 
profit in giving heed to the sober reflections called forth 
by the sight of all these pompous performances. The 
throng who filled the church also afforded an interesting 
subject for contemplation ; while many, it could not be 
doubted, were sincere worshipers ; others, while pretend- 
ing to be engaged in petitioning the blessed Mary, were 
taking cognizance of all* that was going on about them. 
But the Catholics are not the only ones who carry on the 
worship of God and mammon at one and the same time. 
We took, but did not partake of, the sacrament, wrap- 
ping the bit of bread (which was, in the belief of those 
around us, a particle of the body of the Saviour) in one 
corner of our pocket handkerchief. We bore it away 
with us as a sensible proof of our ^belief in the doctrine 
of transubstantiation, and as a memento of the service — 
the first we had attended in the old world ! We re- 
mained to witness the " public prayers to the Virgin." 
While they were being mumbled with the accustomed 
formal solemnity, a French woman entered, whom we 
recognized as having been a passenger on board the La- 
fayette. The expression of her face was not particularly 



14 DIART. 

amiable, and we wondered at the facility with which, 
while, with one closed eye, she adored the " Holy Mother," 
she with the other cast a severe glance upon us, as if to reprove 
us for want of due reverence. It was refreshing to get 
out into the pure air and sunshine once more ; and still 
more so — after an interval of several hours passed quietly 
in our pleasant rooms in the Hotel D'Angleterre — to attend 
the English Episcopal service in a little chapel which was 
once a Catholic church. It was situated in a most out-of- 
the-way place ; and had we been persecuted Huguenots 
it would have been seemingly a safe retreat. All direc- 
tions were of no avail ; and had it not been for a very 
polite shopman, who insisted upon leaving his shop, and 
going far out of his way, we should not have enjoyed this 
heretical service. About forty were assembled, and joined 
heartily in the responses ; and some four or five fair 
American or English girls sat near the small melodeon, 
and with their sweet voices aided materially in rendering 
the vocal part of the service attractive. Owing to the 
fewness of our numbers, and the circumstances under 
which we worshiped, there seemed more than usual union 
and communion. We felt that it was good to be there 
and to pause for a moment in the midst of the excite- 
ments incident to the life of a traveler journeying through 
a country where all things were new and strange. 

Monday, July 10th, — Left Rouen, not without some re- 
gret, and by two o'clock were on our way to Paris ! The 
ride of two hours and a half was very enjoyable, the coun- 
try through which we passed attractive,, and our spirits 
the finest. There is much to engage the attention of one 
who gazes upon the region of country through which this 
road passes for the first time in their lives. What struck 



kLiRT. 1$ 

us particularly as we proceeded was the singular custom of 
cultivating the soil, in immensely long and very narrow 
strips ; eaeh strip having been planted with a different kind 
of produce, and presenting a marked appearance, and look- 
ing like a great agricultural flag, with its many colored 
and variously shaded stripes, spread upon the surface of 
the ground. The train in which we were being conveyed 
to the capital of" Le Belle France," also attracted our at- 
tention, the cars being Covered with sheet iron without, and 
illumined by means of a lamp placed in the centre of the 
top and lighted by a man upon the roof! There is also no 
shelter whatever upon the engine for the fireman who 
drives it. Many other of the arrangements differ widely 
from our own, as for instance the rate of speed which being- 
far greater, is certainly much more agreeable, especially 
when one's destination is this paradise of pleasure seekers.' 
As we Beared the city our excitement increased, and even 
when we had passed the barriere we could scarcely believe 
the testimony of our senses, that we were not beside our- 
selves, but were in very truth in Paris ! 

The examination of our baggage was little more than a 
form, and after a very brief delay, with our trunks over our 
heads upon the top of little voifurc, we were getting our first 
actual sight of the gay city while being driven to the Bou- 
levard des Capuscins, and " le Grand Hotel." Owing to the 
impossibility of carrying all our luggage upon one coach, our' 
party was obliged to separate, and the cocker of one of the 
the voitures conjecturing rightly as to the ignorance of his 
passenger or " voyageur" as to the rout to be taken, gave 
him the benefit of half an hour's ride through various- 
portions of the city, thus enabling him, in advanee of his 
compagnom, to gain a knowledge of its beauty and magni- 



16 DIAItT; 

tudc. Considering the advantages thus unexpectedly 
enjoyed, the trifling extra charge which was exacted was 
very inconsiderable. 

Unlike many of the little " grands" to which the atten- 
tion of the traveler is constantly invited, this palatial 
hotel is most appropriately named. In size and all its 
appointments it has not its equal, and certainly not its 
superior in certain other important respects. We were 
soon established in most comfortable quarters, and ere 
long found our way to a handsome restaurant, where we 
were waited upon by gacons clothed in fine broadcloth, 
and speaking three or four languages, and where we en- 
joyed a most satisfactory repast. 

In the evening, by moonlight, as if in a vision, we' 
looked upon the Madeleine, the Place de la Concorde, with 
its obelisk of Luzor,the exterior of the Palace of the Tuil- 
leries ; and after a short stroll through the corridors of 
the Rue Rivoli, returned to our rooms. We had had ex- 
citement enough for one day ; and what promise did not 
the morrow hold out to us !• 

Paris, July 13th.— On first entering the city, we were 
forced to exclaim, "0 strange new world !" and indeed the 
intense life and brilliancy of the " whited sepulchre" cannot 
be easily described. There is an intense sparkle and fas- 
cination about it that one must himself witness in order 
to understand it. Three days in Paris constitute an event 
in one's lifetime ; that is, to one coming from the New 
World. What have we not done, seen, experienced even, 
during so brief a time ! We have been lost amid the cu- 
rious and interesting treasures of art and antiquity stored 
in the Louvre ; fine old pictures, souvenirs of the kings 



DJ.AkY. J7 

and queens of France, (beginning with Childric and end- 
ing with Louis Philippe,) and articles of all descriptions 
used by Napoleon the Great— have visited the tombs of 
Abelard and Heloise, Raehael, Marsha] Ney, and the 
Rothschilds, at Pere la Chaise— have been through the 
manufactory of the Gobelin Tapistry, where we were 
mucfc entertained by a view of the finished pieces, the 
work of years, and wonderful specimens of art, and by 
watching the process by which they are constructed, 
thread by //tread. We have seen the Jardin des Plantes, 
where we looked upon many animals never before col- 
lected. The Morgue— although at tho time of our visit 
there were none but living inhabitants within, the walls- 
claimed a moment's attention. Next we visited "Notre 
Dame de Paris," so intimately connected with the history 
of the city. Walking up the side aisles, and noticing the 
side chapels which had been repaired and adorned, we 
looked at the beautiful carved work within the chancel, 
and returned and climbed the left tower to the first " look- 
out ;" then, crossing to the right-hand tower, climbed to 
the very top, and, scrambling upon the roof, stood upon 
the highest attainable point. Prom this elevation the view 
of the immense and finely-situated city, extending far out 
into the region round about, was grand in the extreme. 

Our visit to the Invalides, to-day, was a very interesting 
one. Bonaparte's tomb is very rich, and the statues sur- 
rounding it finely executed and commanding. The build- 
ing itself is very handsome, and, altogether, impressive. 
We afterward spent a short time in the hospital itself, its 
chapel, etc. Driving past the magnificent Arc de l'Etoile, 
after examining its fine bass-relief, we went to the Lux- 
DmWg Palace, its senate el'iamber, gallery of paintings, 



JS DIAUV. 

and so forth. The gallery of paintings was worthy of a 
much longer visit. Indeed some of the paintings merited 
an hour's inspection ; and supposing the inspector to pos- 
sess a good memory and a fertile imagination, the examina- 
tion might afford much delightful thought and enjoy- 
ment. 

From the Palace we went to the Pantheon, a ffftnous. 
old church, on its own and its historical account. Guided 
by a heartv, merry-looking man, habited in the usual dress 
of the military order, we descended into the vaults beneath 
the altar, and visited the tombs of Voltaire, (the man 
whose character "Carlylc has so admirably drawn,) and 
llousseau, and some other notabilities. At one spot our 
guide stopped, and, arranging us in a row, with our backs to 
the wall, stepped onward a little distance, and pronounced 
a number of words— at first in a loud, and then in a softer 
tone, which were re-echoed with a precision such as we 
had never known to be equalled or even approximated. 
The whispered ones were as distinct as the louder ones. 
He next sounded a drum, and the noise which resounded 
from the vaults and arches Was like the roar of artillery. 
Our courier afterward informed us that the drum used 
was quite a small one. Close by the Pantheon stands the 
oldest church in Paris, St. Genevieve. In the revolution 
it was used as a stable, and was the theatre of some fight- 
ing. Several bullet-holes, which were shown to us in the 
canvass of some of the paintings, testified to the truth of 
the event. 

Our last visit was to the Chamber of Deputies, where 
we saw the room in which the deputies assemble. A fine 
marble statue of the present Emperor was greatly aid- 



DIARY. 1 9 

mired. It is cut from a single block of marble, and is most 
beautifully and perfectly executed. 

It seems, that while so much has met our eyes, our 
minds have been inadequately employed. One feels the 
momentary impression, but does not analyze the cause 
whence it comes ; and consequently he fails to derive the 
full pleasure and profit which might be received by a 
cooler and more lengthened study, both of his thoughts 
and the works of art themselves. 

In the evening, as usual, strolled in the Boulevards, 
sometimes visiting the arcades and passages, looking at the 
display of goods which the French people know how to 
arrange so temptingly in their shop-windows, and oc- 
casionally purchasing some trifling articles. In thus 
making ourselves, for the time beinsr, one of the easily- 
pleased throng, and sauntering leisurely whither inclina- 
tion led us, we found much entertainment ; and although 
the occupation yielded no excitement, it afforded no small 
opportunity to observe the street life, shop life, and com- 
mon life of the gay city — to study " Paris by gaslight." 

July lith, Versailles. — Left in the half-past eleven 
o'clock train for Versailles. The ride of less than an 
hour's duration was only too short. Driving through the 
long avenue, lined on either side with a double row of fine 
trees, we reached the little Trianon, and so soon as the 
officer arrived, were shown through its apartments. Many 
of them were very elegant. The floors being of inlaid 
wood, and highly polished, seemed no more fit to be trodden 
upon than the handsome centre-tables that adorned the 
rooms, and upon which were arranged many unique and 
valuable gifts presented to Napoleon First by the sore-* 



2(1 Dr.vRt. 

deigns of Europe. Beyond these more showy salons, wo, 
passed through the sitting-room, private library, bed- 
chamber, and toilet-room of Bonaparte, and saw likenesses 
of various members of the old Bourbon family. 

Next in order came the inspection of the royal livery. 
Among the carriages, was the one in which the young 
prince was carried at the time of his christening, and the 
coach in which Josephine was sent awuy from her lawful 
husband. All were richly ornamented, and gorgeous with 
gilt. We also saw the chair in which Madame Maintenon, 
the fascinating woman of society, was carried. 

To pass through the galleries of the Grand Palace of 
Versailles occupied several hours ; and it would be utterly 
impossible to describe either the magnificent Palaise itself, or 
to name its most valuable treasures. Most of the paintings 
relate to great historical events and battle-fields, and the 
sculpture to men who have made themselves famous or 
infamous in history. One wearies of the multitude of ob- 
jects claiming his attention, and is bewildered by the 
splendor and elaborateness of the pictures, as well as the 
rooms in which they are arranged. 

Sunday, July. IQth. — Vie have been to church almost 
daily since we landed — -but to pay homage to art and an- 
tiquity. To-day we went to worship (3fod. In the little 
American chapel, Rue de Berri 21, we joined in a service 
partly Presbyterian, partly Episcopal, and wholly in Eng- 
lish. We listened to a somewhat rambling discourse from 
Dr. S. His subject was one offering a wide field for 
imaginative display ; but his treatment of it was eminent- 
ly practical. It was the raising of Lazarus from the dead; 
;md the striking thought was, that Christ, by this act of 
Love and mercy, hastened the event of his crucifixion. 



DIARY. LM 

Plainly, pleasure is God in this magnificent city ; and the 
thought will come, whether these gay Parisians would not 
be quite ready to crucify the Lord again, should he come 
among them, and endeavor to raise them to a higher* 
nobler life. Where were the three million inabitants of 
the city '? Traveling, selling goods, building houses, and 
a few praying to the Virgin. 

Monday, Jul;/ \llh. — A fourth excessively warm day. 
Drove out of Paris a few miles to visit the famous church 
of St. Denis, where so many of the kings and queens of 
France are buried. The church is being repaired, so that 
we were able to see only a small part of it. Notwith- 
standing Bonaparte's desire to " sleep on the banks of the 
Seine, in the midst of the French people," the present 
Emperor designs that his remains shall be entombed amidfc 
the walls wherein the skeletons of the ancient nobility of 
the empire are buried. And it is by his order that the 
stonecutters are at work within the hallowed walls. But 
w r e were repaid for our visit ; the building itself, excepting 
the portion destroye&by lightning some years ago, is 1,200 
years old ! and the multitudinous associations that cluster 
around it, render it an object of awe and intense interest 
to a lover of history or one who reverences antiquity. 

Before returning home we drove to the Bourse, the 
magnificent railroad depot of the " Xord" roads, the old 
church of St. Eustache, the Palais Royal, the markets, and 
the Bank of France. The roar of what, to the uninitiated, 
might seem more like the raving of a multitude of maniacs, 
which greeted our ears as we entered " la Bourse," was 
almost deafening. This is a handsome and commanding edi- 
fice, and occupies a fine position. The markets are fine 
Structures of iron, and admirably suited for the reception of 



DIARY. 



the eatables therein sold. We have nothing like them at 
home ; but it would be for the health of the people if we 
had. Before leaving, we bought some delicious fruit, which 
we brought home to refresh ourselves therewith when 
thirsty or faint. Spent the evening in the delightful 
♦Salon de Lecture of the hotel over the London " Times.'''' 
Read about the Atlantic cable — which it seems is just 
about to be laid again, with new hopes and improve- 
ments — the burning of the Nelson, some of whose passen- 
gers we picked up ; and last, but not least, several columns 
on America, feeling complimented the while that my 
native land merited so much notice in so great a paper. 
We had scarcely looked at a paper for weeks, and nothing 
but indisposition and a thirsting for home-knowledge, 
could have induced us to remain within to-night. 

Wednesday, July 19^/j, — It is a week since we commen- 
ced to "do" Paris seriously, and we have been surprised 
to learn how much we could examine (not merely pass by) 
in a day, under the auspices of a courier familiar with the 
city, and its treasures of art, beauty ^nd antiquity. Paris 
is unexhausted, inexhaustible, but is intensely hot ; and 
so having engaged a passage in the Scotia, of October 7th, 
we are off for Switzerland and Germany to-morrow. 

July 2\st, Geneva. — Yesterday morning we left Paris, 
and rode for nine hours through the southeast portion of 
the empire of France. It was somewhat tedious, but we 
enjoyed seeing the country through which we journeyed. 
The highly-cultivated, fenceless fields — the hedges by the 
side of the track — the beautiful hillsides, checkered with 
different kinds of grain or vegetables — the women work- 
ing as hard as the men — (we did not enjoy this) — the aged 



D1ARV. V<i 

Junk of the houses, and so forth. It stormed a part 
of the time ; but we were enabled to see all that was 
to be seen without interruption. About half-past eight 
we reached Macon, where we slept all night. At 
eight o'clock this morning in the rain we left the 
little, stagnant, dismal town, in the way train, and were 
consequently obliged to travel slowly, wait for trains at 
intermediate stations, and change carriages a number of 
times. The latter part of our ride was through narrow 
defiles, between high hills, and the scenery possessed more 
variety than that of yesterday. But we did not see it to 
as much advantage j for, although in one of the best 
carriages, we were, for the first time since our arrival, 
somewhat crowded. All annoyances were, however, soon 
forgotten ; for presently we were in Switzerland ! Arrived 
at Geneva, we went at once to the Hotsl des Bergnes, 
which, though not new, is, like old wine, good ; and 
moreover, is said to command a view of Mt. Blanc in 
clear, cloudless weather. He has not been visible to-day.- 
After dinner — which, by the way, was enlivened by music 
from a fine band — we passed over the handsome bridge 
across the lower end of the lake, and into some of the 
older portions of the city. 

July 22d, Chamonix. — Left the Hotel Bergues for this 
little Alpine village about eight and a half o'clock. We 
accomplished eighteen miles of the journey in less than 
three hours, and at Bonnville remained more than an hour 
to rest the horses. At the same time and place we refresh- 
ed ourselves, though in a small way. We were on the 
Way again a little after twelve, and did not stop until two- 
hours afterward, when the horses Were again rested ; and 



t J 4 diary; 

meanwhile a cannon fired that we might hear the eehoV 
It was poor, and by no means equal to the one at Lake 
< teorge. During the ride thence to St. Martin, we passed 
some beautiful scenery, and very lofty mountain tops. All 
was new, wild, grand and strange, and we forgot the 
length of the journey, in witnessing the novel and impress- 
ive scenery, by which we were surrounded. About half- 
past three we reached the inn of St. Martin, and here we 
changed coaches, drivers and horses, to ascend the moun- 
tain which formed the barrier to the village to which we 
were bound. A part of the traces connecting the horses 
with our Uew conveyance were made of pieces of rope, not 
larger than a common clothes line, and seemed scarcely to 
warrant safe transportation up the sides of the steep as- 
cent. However, we journeyed up the- steep sides of the 
wild mountain and over bridges thrown' across yawning 
chasms in safety, even to the end. About seven, we 
beheld the snowy peaks of the mountains in the 
neighborhood of Mt. Blanc ' but it was not until we 
neared the village that the clouds were lifted from 
the tops of the mountains, at the base of which ran our 
road, and from the hoary head of this giant king of the 
Alps, that we looked upon the very top of the world-famous 
Mount Blanc ! Yes, there it was, looming up into the 
very sky, and we, mere pigmies, straining our eyes and 
almost dislocating our necks to gaze at it. We were iri- 
formedthat people are frequently a week at Chamonix, 
and do not get one glimpse of this dazzling monarch, and 
that we were fortunate ; and indeed we thought so tooi 
and felt awed when we thought of our proximity to those' 
fearful glaciers, and the cloud-enveloped regions where the 
snow eternally rests and perpetual silence reigns ! 



DIARY. '2-3 

Sunday, July 23d. — On our arrival last evening, we had 
found rest at the Hotel Royal, which was honored in 1S60 
by a visit from the French Emperor and suite. The rooms 
assigned us commanded a view of the snow-topped summits, 
and consequently the jirst thing we did upon rising was to 
go to our windows to see if the sky was clear. To our joy 
it was, and the round, pure, crystal dome of Mt. Blanc 
was glistening in the sunlight ! About eleven, leaving 
the hotel, we moved leisurely along the little field-path 
leading to the newly-erected Episcopal chapel, lately 
built to accommodate English tourists. We were very 
early, as the village time differed from our own. Soon, 
however, the little bell was tolled, and the people began to 
come ; and by the time the service commenced, the very small 
church was well filled. It seemed fit to worship the Au- 
thor of all the sublimity which surrounded us in the 
midst of his creations—" to lift up our eyes unto the hills, 
from whence cometh our help ;" unto Him " who has 
preserved us from all evil," during the month that has 
elapsed since we left our homes on the other side of the 
Atlantic. If, indeed, there are *' sermons in stones — 
books in the running brooks," what depths of thought 
may not be stirred within one by giving heed to the emo- 
tions caused by a contemplation of these grand phenomena 
of nature. It makes the spectator feel his insignificance, 
question the very cause of his creation, and yearn for some 
imagined, inexpressible good. A memorable day will be 
this Sabbath, passed under the " Shadow of Mount 
Blanc !" 

July 24th. — Well was it that we took a long, last look 
at Mt. Blanc last evening; for to-day his glorious head is 

4 



26 DIAKY. 

no longer visible to the gaze of mortals. The event of the 
day was the ascent to the Mer de Glace, on mule-back. It 
occupied about two hours. B. w r as mounted on the back 
of the largest animal, myself upon the most mischievous. 
They were " stubborn as mules," and it was well for us 
that they had made up their minds that they would go. 
They went no faster than they chose, however, and occasion- 
ally paused to view their homes beneath, or for some other 
undiscovered reason. Now and then the road became un- 
pleasantly narrow, and ran uncomfortably near to some- 
thing very like a precipice ; and just at these points the 
donkeys seemed especially desirous of seeing how close to 
the edge they could walk without causing themselves 
and their riders to make an unexpected descent. How- 
over, we reached the plateau overlooking the Sea of Ice — 
regarding the extent and appearance of which we were a 
little disappointed — in safety, and drank our bottle of 
beer several thousand feet above the heads of most of our 
fellow men. Descending part way to the icy sea, we 
watched a party of young men, as, with pikes in their 
hands, and conducted by a guide, they threaded their 
way across it ; and then, not having time to cross our- 
selves, we bought some exquisite wood carvings, as me- 
mentoes of our visit, and commenced the not quite so 
agreeable descent. It was accomplished in good time; 
and about four, with regret, we bade adieu to the moun- 
tain-locked vale of Chamonix, and descended to the little 
inn at St. Martin, where we intended passing the night, in 
order to lessen the fatigue of the return to Geneva on the 
morrow. It was worth the journey across the Atlantic, 
•We thoucht, this visit to Mt. Blanc alone. 



DIARY. 27 

July 27th — Berne to Brienz. — Having been entertained 
by the Alpine views, the bears, and the wonderful music 
boxes of Berne, we started this morning for Interlaken 
The sail through the beautiful lake of Thun was very en- 
joyable. It occupied about an hour. We had not been, 
upon the water before since leaving the Lafayette, (the 
great fete at Veray having prevented our contemplated 
s.iil through the lake of Geneva.) and it was most refresh- 
ing to feel the cool breeze, and breathe the exhilarating 
air, as we sat upon the deck of the miniature steamer, 
viewing the emerald setting of this gem-like lake. At 
Neauhaus, we found stages waiting the arrival of the 
boat, and were rapidly conveyed to Interlaken, a beauti- 
fully and most romantically situated summer resort. 
Here we dined, and passed several hours at the Belve- 
dere. We found the people talking of the terrible acci- 
dent of the Meitorliorn, whereby young Lord Douglass 
and two of his companions lost their lives. To ou 1 ' 
regret, the " Jungfrau " was not visible. Neither were 
the friends we sought ; and therefore, having engaged 
a private conveyance to Lucerne, we drove as far as 
Brienz, on the lake of the same name. It was a 
small inn at which we stopped, situated on the edge of 
the water, and the windows of our rooms were delight- 
fully located, looking out upon the little mountain-bound 
lake, with the famous falls of Giesbach tumbling down 
the mountain on the opposite side. How we wished, as 
our eyes took in the grand and beautiful picture, that 
those, who had gone from this world could have looked 
upon these enchanting scenes ! Yet, may they not be in 
a world where all is far more beautiful than aught that i* 
here ? After we had partaken of some rest and refresh- 



28 DIARY. 

inent, we crossed the lake in a rowboat, in " pitch dark-, 
ness" and a drizzling rain, to visit the falls. It took us 
an hour to cross the lake, and ascend half way to the top 
of the height over which the water is precipitated. Mean- 
while the rain increased, and the single lantern carried by 
the guide was scarcely sufficient to show us the path 
leading up the ascent through the forest; but when, 
after waiting impatiently for some fifteen L minutes, the 
illumination took place, we forgot everything in beholding 
the magical spectacle. The cascade of water seemed in a 
moment transformed into a cascade of flaming fire, of va- 
rious hues, red, blue, green, and yellow. Viewed in the 
surrounding " blackness of darkness," it almost seemed as 
if we were permitted to look into the region where the 
Stygian river overflowed its banks ! We could scarcely 
talk of aught else but the illuminated falls of Griesbach, 
and of the surprise and delight experienced when the im- 
pressive spectacle suddenly burst upon our vision, while 
descending the mountain and recrossing the lake to the 
hotel. 

Friday, Jul)/ 28th. — Brienz to — nowhere. Resumed our 
journey to Lucerne this morning. Crossed the Brenig 
mountain. About two, stopped at a wayside inn to dine 
and feed the horses. The morning had been so exces- 
sively warm as even to impair our enjoyment of the extra- 
ordinary scenery which Sir Walter Scott has so graphic- 
ally depicted in " Anne of Cleierstein." About two indi- 
cations of a storm appeared. Two hours later we were 
again on our way, and not long alter the rain began to 
fall — slowly at first, but by-and-by in torrents. Pausing 
under a covered bridge, which fortunately was near at 
hand, we waited till the worst was over, and continued 



DIARY. 29 

our journey, until a mountain torrent, which had washed 
away a portion of the road, precluded further progress. 
Back we went to an inn not far distant, and waited for 
the torrent to run out. In half an hour thereafter, by the 
help of half a dozen men, the carriage was brought over 
the stones, and through the water which was rushing and 
foaming across the road. It was at the risk of being- 
overturned, and having the carriage broken, that we 
passed; and scarcely had the passage been accomplished, 
when a similar break in the highway appeared. But we 
again succeeded in passing, and all went well until we 
arrived at a point where a bridge had been carried away 
by the flood. Owing, however, to the energy of our 
driver, who pulled off his coat, and went to work with a 
will — thus inspiring those who were listlessly looking on, 
without a thought, apparently, of laboring to repair 
the. damage done to work also — the delay was brief, 
and soon our own and several other vehicles were safely 
on the other side of the foaming stream. 

We were destined to have an adventurous time. Pro- 
ceeding only a short distance, we reached a second bridge- 
less, rqshing rivulet, likewise impassable. But again it 
was repaired, and we went a little farther, when we came 
to a place where the effects of the severe and — as the Swiss 
peasants informed us — unparalled storm was visible in 
piles of earth and stone thrown across the entire passage 
All got out, and walked over on foot, and on came the car- 
riage, pitching from side to side, and being with difficulty 
brought over by any means. Farther on.'^the windows of 
our conveyance, almost brushed against the gnarled trunk 
of an immense tree, which had been uprooted by the tem- 
pest and overturned upon the road, leaving scarcely room 



30 DIARY. 

to pass between it and the Lake of Lucerne, upon the 
edge of which ran the road. Truly, the storm had been 
" abroad in the mountains !" and there had been " war in 
the skies." We began to realize that our position was not 
only fearful, but, as M. Varlet, our courier, exclaimed, 
"perfectly fearful." Still, the excitement kept off fear, 
although the thought that some huge tree or boulder 
might be precipitated upon our pitiless heads was not at 
all a pleasant one. For aught we knew, we might be 
buried alive. All agreed we would not " stage" it among 
the Alps again in a storm — =and especially not on 
Friday. 

Hoping, notwithstanding the difficulties which lay in 
our path, that we should before nightfall reach the town 
to which we were destined, we did not despair, though con- 
scious that our ride was a dangerous one, from what we 
had seen. This was not to be, however. When within a 
mile of Lucerne, we reached a part of the road where 
earth, logs and stones had been piled in promiscuous con- 
fusion, and to a considerable height, But, by skillful 
manoeuvring, we might have passed even this spot, had 
not a knowledge of the insurmountable obstacles a few 
feet beyond precluded all thought of completing the jour- 
ney, although? within a mile and a half of the town. 

A little drinking tavern was at hand, and, by means of 
chairs and boards, we were enabled to reach the steps 
thereof dry-shod. The road was flooded in all directions, 
and it was even difficult to effect a "landing" for the 
carriage. We were not alone in our discomforture. A 
party who had been traveling close behind us were in a 
like situation, and found shelter for the night and from 
the storm under the same roof. Our company was fur- 



* blARf* Si 

ther increased by the addition of two young German lads, 
who were making a pedestrian tour through the region* 
The kind people gave up their own rooms and beds, (the 
latter were not in all cases used,) and sent to the nearest 
Village to get butter and eggs, and did all in their power 
to comfort and oblige us. All the members of our party 
appropriated the dining room to themselves, lying down 
upon the sofas, tables and chairs* But we slept, never- 
theless. 

July 29th. — We rose at an unusually early hour, hoping 
to take a row-boat from the point where we were, and 
thereby reach the town without being obliged to retrace 
our steps ; but the old scow, the only conveyance secura- 
ble, was not fit ; and so we went in our carriage to Staii- 
stadt, and waited for the little steamer which was to leave 
at nine for Lucerne. As we rode through the village in 
the pure, refreshing morning air and sunshine, we saw the 
devastating effects of the storm of last evening, in the 
desolate-looking hillsides, where the torrent, rushing down 
the mountain, had loosened and carried away trees, turf and 
rocks, and had, in a few hours, buried the gardens and 
the carefully cultivated fields upon which the poor Switz- 
ers had bestowed many days of hard labor. The little lake 
steamer was punctual to a moment, and with passengers 
and baggage (an unusual amount of both) on board, we 
were soon gliding through the water towards the beauti- 
fully-situated, though not otherwise prepossessing, town 
of Lucern. In about three-quarters of an hour we 
reached the lauding, and were soon luxuriating in the 
Schweitzerhof, in rooms commanding a delightful view of 
the lovely lake, the Rigi, and other blue-topped mountains- 



S2 DIARY. 

Alter paying a satisfactory visit to the handsome marble 
dining hall, we strolled through a part of the town, cross- 
ing the old bridge, with its curious, old and faded pictures. 
and winding about through some of the narrow, dark 
streets of the town. Later, after a drive into the country, 
over the fine hard road, and in view of the grand heights, 
we visited the sculpture of the " Lion," after the cele- 
brated model of Thorwalsden, executed in commemora- 
tion of the death of the gallant Swiss Guard. It is a 
marvelous production, and lie must be a callous man who 
can view it unmoved. Art is grand, but nature is often 
more powerful to stir the depths of one's whole nature. 
We were in the midst of moving; scenes in more than in 
one sense. The wondrous panorama was constantly 
changing under the influence of the golden-tinted sunset 
clouds which were reflected in the waters of the unruf- 
fled lake, and the scenery at once so quiet and grand, and 
exceedingly beautiful, as to melt the heart, and bring 
back, with powerful vividness, all those tender scenes and 
associations of the past which few have not experienced 
during life's journey, and the remembrance of which bring 
tears to the eyes of the beholder. 

J ul ij olst.~ — Out of Switzerland — into Germany. About 
ten we left our last resting-place in this land of unrivalled 
grandeur, sublimity and beauty, for Baden-Baden. The 
scenery changed gradually, though perceptibly, after 
leaving Lucerne, and we took a last, lingering look at the 
partially-obscured mountains, thinking, with more than, 
regret, that it would probably be our last. We had 
passed a delightful Sabbath on the shores of the lovely 
lake, giving thanks for our deliverance from the perils of 



DIARY. 33 

the storm by which we had been overtaken, and drinking 
deeply of the pure and elevating enjoyments peculiar to 
our situation in this unequalled region. A cloud, though' 
not much bigger than a hand's bredth, resting upon the 
Rigi, had rendered the ascent of that height unadvisablei 
and so, disappointed, but filled with thrilling recollections 
of this enchanting land, we journeyed on. Certainly this 
world is surpassingly beautiful, and induces us too often to 
forget the existence of another. But that other must, in 
truth, be wonderful, if, notwithstanding all there is to en- 
rapture one here, " it hath not entered into the heart of man 
to conceive" its glories ! 0, Switzerland ! what man who 
has crossed thy mountains, beheld thy vallies, floated upon 
thy lakes, witnessed the descending storm and torrent 
within thy borders, can for a moment wonder that thine 
inhabitants love thee '? and that, if perchance they arc 
forced to seek a foreign home, where no lofty mountain- 
tops reach tip into the sky, pine for thee; and after years 
of toil come back to enjoy thy grandeur? Wild and 
beautiful — terrible and fascinating — thou art a land to 
influence and control the soul of man, as is none other. 
Farewell ! 

At Barle we passed out of Switzerland and into Germany 
The examination of our baggage was slight, and ere long 
we were crossing the Rhine(!) and passing over the plains 
and by the dykes of Germany. The contrast between this 
scenery and that in the midst of which we were but a few 
hours since was indeed extreme. It was about seven 
when we reached this great and fashionable pleasure resort, 
and too tired, dusty and hungry to commence sight-seeing, 
or to attend the grand musical fete held that evening in 
the " Conversation, " we walked through some of the 

b 



;u itiAur. 

Btreets, and returned to the "L'Europe" where we were 
lulled to sleep by the sounds of the music coming from the 
not far distant hall. 

August 1st — Baden-Baden. — The first thing to be done 
after leaving one's room in the morning, is to visit the 
"Dri le," where the mineral waters are taken, and 

where on showery mornings one lias a good opportunity 
affor pre-breakfast exercise, and seeing the " in- 

\: li y of whom present t s of robust 

-, if not wicked jollity. But most interesting to be 
: and enjoyed is the ride and visit to the Castle of the 
vs, which has for so long a time been in ruins. We 
spent some time in rambling over the remains of the fort- 
ress, and from the top of the only tower left standing had 
a fine view of the surrounding country. By means of a 
good telescope, several distant towns on the borders of the 
fthine are brought within the vision, and even some of the 
buildings within those towns. When about half-way down 
the mountain we stopped to inspect the Palace of the pres- 
ent Duke of Baden, but were permitted to see only two or 
three rooms in the main building, as the Duchess was within 
the walls; but descending into the region of perpetual night, 
in company with several other visitors, each of us having 
been furnished with a lamp, we followed the guide through 
the dungeons where, not three hundred years ago, deeds of 
great cruelty were perpetrated ; and as we listened to these 
tales of horror, congratulated ourselves that we had not 
been born dukes in (hose days, and in that neighborhood. 
1 hiving returned from the dark ages and the gloom of 
midnight into the glorious light of noonday, we enjoyed 
one of those charming drives through a park-like portion- 



DIARY. 35 

of the town, beneath a fine avenue of trees, whose branches 
meeting above our heads, afforded a most refreshing shade, 
and beneath the bows of which, on either side of the road, 
were romantic vistas, rustic seats, and lounging invalids. 
Some of the latter were really infirm, and were being 
moved through the grounds by servants in wheeled chahs 
or carriages; while others, perchance, were killing time 
by talking scandal, or reading the latest novel. 

In the afternoon we found amusement in examining the 
contents of the booths or small shops ranged around a 
large square in the neighborhood of the C lion. 

They were attended by people from a dozen diff urn- 

tries, and the display of goods was as vari the pro- 

ductions of the regions from whenc came. The 

shopkeepers were remarkably polite ; but . ."it was 

from respect to ourselves, or on account of divers trifling 
purchases made, it would be difficult to 

' fhile dining at the table d'hote, we were furnished, 
lor two kreutzers, with a list of visitors in the place. 
(which is published daily.) and were amused to find the 
announcement of the arrival of one of y " mit bed." 

Not being acquainted with .' ion of the term, 

and being not at all desirous to have the property of some 
invalid traveler accounted as our own, we were not a little 
puzzled, until informed that reference was had to the 
courier who accompanied us! Dim r with hun- 

dreds of fellow sojourners, we secured seats fronting the 
handsome hall, listened to the fine inspiriting music of the 
band, and w T atched the gay throng of pleasure-seekers. 
The change of mood produced upon the people by the 
varied music without, answered to the exciting freaks of 
fortune and clink of sold, which alternately agitated those 



36 DIARY. 

;it the gaming table within the Conversation. We visited 
the hall between the hours pi" nine and ten, and watched 
the players and the game. It was a sad though fascina- 
ting spectacle, and finished our sjght-seeing for the day. 

August 2d. — Baden-Baden to Frankfort. About half- 
past eleven o'clock we left Baden-Baden, the fashionable 
and extremely picturesque watering-place of the world, 
for Frankfort-on-the-Main. Journeying for a time through 
the region of the Black Forest, we found much to admire 
and delight the eye, and were enjoying all the pleasure 
and excitement incident to a first ride on the German rail- 
way, when the arrival of the train at Bruchsal Junction 
put an end to our enjoyment for a longer period than the 
time-being, and brought the blackness of darkness upon 
our spirits — making this journey one which will be for- 
ever memorable. We learned (through Dr. Dodge, of 
N. Y., who w r as journeying in the same train with our- 
selves) that one, who had but a few weeks since, with a 
beaming face waved us a glad adieu as we sailed away 
from our native land, and who who was then in the full 
flush of budding manhood, had sickened, died and (ere we 
knew that he was ill) been buried. Even as the intense 
heat of summer withers and kills the young plant, so had 
a virulent fever destroyed the vitality and burned up the 
life of him whom we were to see no more. Still we jour- 
neyed on, one in sympathy — well nigh one in feeling — un- 
mindful of scenes which no longer had power to attract 
our gaze, excite our imagination, and awaken new and 
varied interest — we thought only of those dear ones who 
had gone " the way of all the earth," and would ne'er 
welcome us back with joy when all our wanderings are 



DIART. 37 

o'er. We scareely knew whether we were not, even yet, 
travelling through the " Black Forest," so utterly had all 
enthusiasm departed from our souls, and so very dark was 
the cloud that rested upon our spirits. By nightfall we 
reached the end of our day's pilgrimage, and after driving 
to several hotels, all of which were crowded to their ut- 
most capacity, we at length obtained most comfortable 
quarters in the Hotel of the Roman Emperor. 

August ilk — Frankfort. — Nature seems often to sympa- 
thize with nations, as, when during a protracted war, the 
dull, heavy, threatening clouds have for days hung over 
the field of battle, and cast gloom upon the whole region 
for many miles around. And sometimes the very heavens 
seem to veil their glories, lest they should mock individual 
grief. So at least it appears to the sorrower. The last 
two days have indeed been dark and dreary ; but they 
have brought relief; inasmuch as dead certainty is more 
endurable than dread suspense. The worst is over. We 
bow to the decree, and yield to the absolute necessity of 
continuing our travels. 

Under ordinary circumstances, this city furnishes the 
traveler with many interesting objects for contemplation. 
Its historical associations are not few in number. The 
house is standing in which the author of Faust was born ; 
and we were told it was the place whence the world- 
famous Jew family — the Rothschilds—originated. We 
have had but a glimpse of the city, and have seen only a 
few of its principal buildings. This morning we uncov- 
ered our heads in the cathedral wherein die emperors of 
Germany were crowned for many years. The KaisersiiJl 
where we saw likenesses from Conrad I. to Francis II. » 



3S DIAUY 

we next visited ; and afterward a gallery of statuary, 
where we saw the exquisite piece of private property, 
<: Ariadne and the Lion." Driving through the Ross 
Market, we saw the fine monuments of Goethe and Gut- 
tenberg, both of which are admirable works of art; and 
the latter we thought should have a statue erected to his 
memory in every land, and in every city of importance in 
the world. Leaving the heart of the city, we rode round 
its edg?, where the residences of the wealthy citizens 
stand. They presented a most attractive appearance, 
many of them fronting upon the fine public walks and 
gardens which encircle this city. 

August 5th — The Rhinel — After breakfast, without the 
slightest wish to remain an hour longer within the city of 
Frankfort, we packed our portmanteaus and prepared to 
depart. The leaden clouds still overshadowed us, and 
threatened rain, when we got into the railway carriage for 
a short ride to Mayence, whence we embarked on one of 
the very narrow iron steamers to descend the Rhine. 
Scarcely had the passengers taken their seats, when the 
rain began to fall, and the wind to blow it upon the deck. 
The slight awning, which was hardly more than a pro- 
tection from the sun, proved an insufficient shelter from 
the storm ; and those who had taken an outside seat in 
order the better to see and enjoy the scenery, were soon 
obliged to change places. Almost all clay the rain con- 
tinued to fall, and the weather was depressing and tem- 
pestuous. It bore some resemblance to the grief and 
agitation of tbe feelings of our own minds. Nevertheless, 
neither the darkness of day, nor the heavy weight upon 
our spirits, had power to prevent us from looking* and 



beeolniiig interested and excited as vye looked, upon the 
'* Panorama du Rliin /" Not to .speak of the wondrous scer> 
ery piled up before our vision, nor of the eager interest which 
seemed to animate all our fellow-voyagers, the mere 
thought that we were actually floating upon the bosom of 
a river which history and poetry has rendered so re- 
nowned, was alone calculated to stimulate our minds; 
We were at once in the midst of stirring associations, and 
were carried back to bygone ages, when travelling on the 
Rhine was not so safe and pleasant — though far more ad- 
venturous — than it now is. Then, the voyager knew not 
whether he should ever get beyond the next turn in the 
stream; or, if he did, whether the passage would not cost 
him the loss of all that he possessed. Then, the towering 
mountain-tops were crowned with uninjured castles, stand- 
ing in all their grim strength and terror, and their lordly inha- 
bitants preparing, perchance, to bring death and destruction 
upon some unsuspecting, though not unenvied baron; 
Then horrors were perpetrated upon noble and innocent 
men, to satisfy the fiendish passions of their captors— acts 
of cruelty far more terrible than death. Now all is 
changed, and we say " A blessing on the Rhine !" Ah ! 
the dead past was indeed a dread past, and a Christian 
man must rejoice more in the "living present." Truly as 
the centre of one of those dark, damp, horrid corridors, ex- 
cavated in the very heart of the mountains, was the dark- 
est, so were the middle ages the darkest of all, and wit- 
nessed the most unrelenting tyranny and blood-thirstiness 
that the world has ever known. Luther was the deliverer 
not of his own country alone, but of the world ; and never, 
unless the Bible shall again become chained, will the 
terrors of the past be reproduced. 



io 



DIAltY. 



But romance as well as history, and fancy as well as 
fact, lias woven a net-work of enchantment over this re- 
gion. Bingen, on the one hand, recalls the story of the 
monse-tower, and the vinos of ancient growth which 
cover the mountain-sides recall to our mind the poetry <>t 
" vine-clad hills." The beautiful wooded islands which 
we arc constantly passing, the precipices of sheer rock 
rising far above our heads on either side, and the crumb- 
ling ruins which, more than all else, invest the Rhine with 
undying interest, combine to fill the mind of the spec- 
tator with emotions too varied and tumultuous to be with 
ease described. 

\Ve envied the hour spent in the tiny cabin whence we 
could obtain only a port-hole view (/ess than a " bird's-eye" 
view) of the impressive panorama. But the excitement of 
mind and exposure we bad undergone rendered it neces- 
sary that we Should take so'me bodily stimulant as well ; 
and so, following some fifty or more passengers into a 
little apartment, which would not, under other than ex- 
traordinary circumstances, have been judged of sufficient 
size to accommodate one-half of that number, we took 
seats at what might, by a great stretch of courtesy, (though 
not an arm's length in width,) be called a table. Rut it 
was made to hold a great deal. It would be a difficult 
matter even to conjecture from whence came the bountiful 
supply of eatables. The ship must have had an India- 
rubber compartment. Course after course was put upon 
the " shelf" at which we sat ; and notwithstanding the 
time occupied in making occasional excursions to the 
deck, (that it'll the passing sights might not be lost,) none 
went away unsatisfied: Hunger oh board the' little river 
craft, and at its miniature fable d y Htote, was evidentlv nn- 



DIARY. it 

known ; nor could one complain of thirst after having 
drunk a bottle of the famous Johannisberg wine. 

The after-dinner event of the day was the passing of the 
castle of Rolandsack, and of the forest-embowered con- 
vent of Nonnenworth, on an island in the river directly 
opposite the ruined castle. The mournful story of despair- 
ing love, as told by Schiller, will never be forgotten while 
language remains, and even now brings tears to the eyes 
of those whose feelings are not easily stirred. More than 
the superstition of Andernach, and the countless other 
legends of the Rhine that rivet the attention of the listener, 
does this tale of pa:ient misery affect the heart — not in the 
way of weak sentimentalism, but with those more noble 
impulses and thoughts which filled the mind of the hero 
of " Hyperion " — the desire to live ; to carry on the grand 
campaign of life ; to wage war against evil, and overcome 
with good ! 

At length the shadows of evening fell ; the rain ceased ; 
and the sky was all of a mellow, golden hue. Not a few 
with whom we had commenced the journey were no 
longer with us. All was quiet. Silently we glided 
through the water. It was a time of peace and content. 
We thought of those who had journeyed with us down 
the river of life for years — who had looked forward to the 
time when they should be so situated as we then were, 
and likewise look upon these hills crowned with hoary 
castles, or covered with cheerful clusters of grapes, and 
enjoy all the pleasures incident to the tour. But they 
had gone where pleasures are forevermore, and left us be- 
hind. In the full flush of their young life they had passed 
away. " Death," says the author of the " Lady of the 
Lake," " is dreadful at all ages ; but in the first springtide 

G 



42 DURT. 

of youth, with all the feelings of enjoyment afloat, and 
eager for gratification, to be snatched forcibly from the 
banquet to which the individual has but just sat^down, is 
peculiarly appalling." And so it would seem; hut may 
it not be that they had already enjoyed the banquet — 
those whom we counted lost ? We had been enjoying 
the " Paradise of Germany ;" but were not they enjoying 
the Paradise above ? 

August 1th. — For years we had looked upon the Cathe- 
dral of Cologne, (or Coin as it is called here) as represented 
in very accurate engravings, and wondered whether wo 
should ever stand within its w r alls. For years we had been 
familiar with the mysterious legend relating to the archi- 
tect of the magnificent edifice, and conjectured as to whe- 
ther we wouid be permitted to behold its unfinished tower. 
To day we have done both ! one is oppressed with its im- 
mensity w r hen view T ed without, and contrasted with the 
highest buildings standing beside it ;' and impressed with 
its vast and magnificent proportions as, with bare head, 
and light tread, he reverently enters, and stands trans- 
fixed with.' miite admiration. Truly it is the grandest work 
that man's hands have ever yet fornled. One feels when 
viewing it, that undefined, undefinable awe which moves 
one when witnessing some great phenomena of nature. 
Worship becomes instinct in such a place; and it needs 
not the voice's of the priests, nor the transporting music 
of the choir, to lead one to do homage to man's creator. 

Besides this first and awful building, we have seen other 
famous edifices for which Cologne is celebrated ; but there 
aire others which we have not visited, although well wor- 
thy of being inspected even at great sacrifice. Among these 



DIARY. 43 

is the house in which the immortal [painter. Rubens, was 
born ; and several venerable churches of note. But we 
have seen enough to employ our tongues, and occupy our 
minds ! and this afternoon we [are off for Brussels ; the 
" little Paris " of Belgium. 

August Sth, Brussels. — As we sit by our windows in the 
Hotel de Belle Yue, and look upon the fine statue of God- 
frey of Bouillon, in the handsome square of the Place 
Royal, we are forced to concede to the universal opinion 
that the Belgian Capital is a delightful city. With the 
gaity of Paris it appears to possess something of the sol- 
idity of an English city, and it has many worthy claims up- 
on the time and attention of the visitor. The Palace of 
the Prince of Orange ; the Hotel de Ville ; the Cathedral j 
the church of St. Jaques ; the Museum and "Museede la 
Industrie " and the Lace manufactories are some of the 
most interesting objects to be seen. The beautiful spire 
of the Hotel de Ville, (Town Hall) was something to which 
our notice was especially called; and it is indeed worth 
studying. The hall itself was undergoing repairs ; but we 
were so fortunate as to gain admittance, and were conduc- 
ted by a guide through the handsome senate chamber and 
hall of representatives. The former presented the appear- 
ance of a theatre far more than it did a, place for political 
discussion. All its appointments were tasteful and elegant. 
Before leaving the hall we were shown portraits of the 
King * and Queen, and a piece of tapistry very remark- 
able on account of its great age. But some of the choicest 
pictures, by celebrated artists, which we saw in the mui 

* Sintc deceaied. 



44 DIARY. 

scum afforded more entertainment than aught else. One by 
Reubens, particularly. The coloring of the flesh and gar- 
ments, considering their great age, is really wonderful. 
Not being distracted by the multitude of ^paintings which 
bewilders one in the galleries of Paris, we studied them 
quietly and more deliberately, and thought them exceed- 
ingly beautiful. What a privilege do they enjoy who can 
come daily and drink in the full expression and deep mean- 
ing of these masterly works of art ! A long drive in and 
about the city, has enabled us to appreciate its spacious 
Boulevards, gardens and fine monuments, which make 
Brussels so bright and cheerful and add so largely to the 
happiness of its inhabitants. 

August 9th, Waterloo. — Having secured a private con- 
veyance last evening, we left the " Belle Vue " about ten 
this morning for the field of Waterloo. After a pleasant 
ride of two hours, the greater part of which was through a 
cool, shady wood of spruce and pine trees — the forest of 
Soignies — we arrived in the village about two. Picking 
up a guide at the little hotel near the village, we drove 
around the field, and were made acquainted with the vari- 
ous locations of the armies and their commanders. It is 
said that the guides have three separate stories of the bat- 
tle. One for the English, another for the French visitor, 
and a third for the American traveler. But however this 
may be, our guide seemed to be possessed of some accu- 
rate information, and was " born upon the spot." Our 
first visit was to the farm of Hougoument, where the 
English were concentrated in force. Here we put our fingers 
into the bullet-holes in some of the old walls still stand- 
ing, and picked some little blue-bells from the spot where. 



DIARY. 45 

the fight had been the most determined, and where the grass 
grew as if it still luxuriated from the blood which had there 
been shed so lavishly. Next we ascended to the top of the 
" mound" monument, erected in the year 1S52, and took 
a general survey of the celebrated battle-field. The 
guide continued to point out the place where this or that 
attack was made, and the precise spot where this or that 
genera} was killed. It was a place to learn great lessons 
— the folly of human greatness and godless ambition. 
Here the man who had defied the world: — the great though 
not the good man — was crushed, humiliated, defeated. 
The man of blood, who used human life as a tool to exe- 
cute his schemes of self-exaltation, met with a just retri- 
bution, and saw his armies— even that division un- 
der his most trusted and greatest general, Marshal Ney — 
defeated, cut to pieces, and almost annihilated. What 
Napoleon's feelings must have been when his last well- 
disciplined corps was repulsed, and when there were no 
reserve regiments at hand to whom he could issue the stern 
command, " Onward ! Onward !" no ordinary man can even 
imagine. We could well nigh weep for him, so intense must 
his sufferings have been. Defeat to his finely-organized, 
proud spirit, must have been many times worse than death. 
In an hour his career of success and glory was at an end, and 
he was reckoned among the great but unfortunate heroes 
of the world. So long as the sun and moon endure will 
men continue to hold various and antagonistic opinions 
regarding his character — to bless or to curse his memory. 
But so long as the world endures must the author of the 
" Code Napoleon" be had in lasting remembrance. Until 
the time shall come when " nations shall learn war no 
more," will men be found who will delight to honor the 



46 DIARY. 

mighty general, to hang immortelles upon his monument, 
and make a pilgrimage to the spot where his remains are 
entombed. The intellectual, too, will worship his woiir 
derful powers of mind ; and, above all his countrymen, 
" the French people," will constitute him their patron 
saint, point with pride and delight to those grand and 
beautiful edifices which adorn their capital, and exalt him 
as the greatest of the great — the incomparable Empcrcur y 
Napoleon Bonaparte. 

We returned by the ordinary road, passing the little 
inn in which the Duke of Wellington lodged. We 
stopped at a small church, where many of the officer* 
and privates who fell upon the hotly-contested field hard- 
by were either buried or had tablets erected to their 
memories. Several of the inscriptions were affecting, and 
most all interesting, on account of the youth of the vic- 
tims. We reached the hotel about half-past six, and after 
some refreshment rambled through one of the principal 
shop-streets, visiting the well-stocked galleries of Goupiel 
.& Co., (with its familiarly sounding name,) the handsome 
arcade of St. Hubert, and several smaller establishments. 
Stopping at one of the latter — a glove emporium — one of 
our party purchased a pair of gloves ; but for some reason 
or other did not succeed in getting them on with ease. 
Fearing they were too small, or would not bear the strain 
put upon them, he made some remark to that effect ; 
whereupon, much to his surprise, the young girl reached 
over the counter, took possession of his hand, and with a 
few vigorous pulls — such as no inferior article could have 
endured composedly — proved the correctness of her judg. 
ment by making the article fit exquisitely. The thing 
was dope in a trice, and in a perfectly dignified man- 



DIALY. 47 

ner ; and although there was, perhaps, the slightest 
possible expression of displeasure on the good-looking 
nice of the girl, she manifested it in no other way; and no 
extra charge was made oil account of the unusual honor 
conferred. 

August \Oth~Antivcrp. — Visited this olcf city to-day. 
It is as dull at the present time as it once was prosperous. 
But it will always attract the traveller while those grand 
old temples and works of unrivalled art remain within its 
ancient walls. We have, to-day, stood upon the pave- 
ment of its famous cathedral, and viewed those wonderful 
paintings by Rubens, the descent from and the elevation 
of the cross — pictures the like of which' we hacf never seen 
before, and which, having been seen once, are never to be 
forgotten. They are not to be looked at merely, but to be- 
quietly, earnestly studied. Paint is the most insignificant 
part of these masterpieces — the necessary material only — 
the Coloring, notwithstanding the age is wonderful ; but 
it is the expression of the whole and of each part that 
makes the works so glorious. Truly Rubens must have 
believed in his heart that the scene which he has so rep- 
resented as to enrapture thousands was really enacted ;' 
and may it not be considered as a proof of the divinity of 
the subject of both paintings, that these great productions 
of a marvelous genius possess the power to rivet the at- 
tention of the beholder, and so affect his heart? 1 May it 
not be that many a man has gone from the presence of 
these eloquent though silent preachers of Christianity, to 
examine the foundations of that system which he had be- 
fore that hour regarded as a weak superstition ? While 
we would hope" that such good results have been accom- 
plished, it cannot be doubted that, aside from the d£ep 



iS DIAKY. 

pleasure and satisfaction they have yielded to hundreds of 
adoring pilgrims, their presence in the city is, like the art 
treasures of the Italian cities, a means of support to not a 
few of the inhabitants who gain their livelihood by ex- 
hibiting them, and by satisfying the wants of the many 
travelers hither ward. 

The church itself, with its cloud-touching and very 
beautiful spire, is an interesting object to contemplate 
and admire, as are several other structures which we after- 
ward visited. Indeed Antwerp is rich in splendid church 
edifices, as Well as in their valuable adornments. The 
museum, also, contained many productions of art, deserv- 
ing more than the few moments that we could spare for 
each of them: Paintings by Rubens, Van Dyke, and 
others. Two pictures — the decapitation of John the Bap- 
tist, and the martyrdom of a certain saint — were among 
the most horrible that had ever met our vision. 

After dinner, at the fine Hotel St. Antoine, (during the 
preparation of which we read with regret of the failure of 
the second attempt to lay the Atlantic cable,) we climbed 
to the top of the tower of the cathedral, whence we ob- 
tained a superb view. We looked into a new country, one 
we had n6t seen, and did not intend to explore. To the 
east, the monotonous plains and canals of Holland were 
plainly visible. From thence came Rip Van Winkle, his 
successors and predecessors". It would have been in- 
teresting, in some respects, to have visited the Nether- 
lands ; but we had not yet seen our own fatherland ; and 
so, with one wistful, lingering look, we quitted the cathe- 
dral. Driving through the commercial part of the city, 
we passed the fine dock built by direction of Napoleon, 
and, in the' course of our drive, saw the handsome steam- 



1JIAKT. 49 

yacht in which Queen Victoria had come from England 
to attend the inauguration of the monument erected to 
the memory of Prince Albert, at Saxe Coburg Gotha. 
The quays are evidences of the importance of Antwerp as 
a great sea port, at one time ; and even now the neigh- 
boring region is the livliest in the city. 

August Wth — Brussels to Paris.— Left Brussels at an 
early hour, in order to accomplish the long journey of 
215 miles before night. We met with little incident 
during the ride ; and before six o'clock were again iri 
Paris, and among the favored guests of the magnificent 
Grand Hotel. It is very pleasant to be in this sparkling 
city again. It seems for the moment like being at home. 
Notwithstanding all the delights experienced during our 
three weeks' tour in Switzerland, Germany and Begium, 
it is a satisfaction to be where one can hear regularly 
from loved ones at home. The thrilling enjoyments of 
the past are over, it is true, and may not be enjoyed again 
save in the revelings of memory; but what has been is 
ours ; it cannot be forgotten ; and were our pleasures to 
end here, we should have thoughts laid up for many 
years, and be grateful for the inestimable privileges and 
opportunities we have enjoyed of seeing with our eyes 
some of the greatest wonders of the world. 

August 15th, Paris.-**- It is evening, and the great yc/c 
day, called the Emperor's, is ended. It has been a great 
day to the children of the Empire, and a very novel one' 
to the stranger within the gates of the imperial city. 
Leaving the hotel about two, we drove as near as possible 
to the Plazd des Invalidcs, where the multitude wero 

7 



oO DIAKT. 

cfciefly assembled to witness the free theatrical perform-' 
aDces, gymnastic exhibitions, tight-rope dancing, etc., etc. 
The first of these amusements was highly sensational, and 
even the occasional very tragical death of some one of the 
performers partook largely of the ludicrous (although 
very popular with a majority of the spectators). Not so 
the feats of strength, some of which were astonishing ; 
and it was wonderful to note the perseverance with which 
(allowing themselves but brief intervals of rest) these sons 
of Hercules continued to excite the applause of the pleased 
spectators. It seemed, too, as if the poor dancing girls 
would utterly fail ; but still they kept it up, round after 
round, without any flagging. Perhaps the most amusing 
of all the " sights" was the climbing of the greased poles. 
One adventurer would go but a little way, and give up 
the undertaking ; another, when almost to the top, and 
within but a short distance of the prize, would (either 
for want of strength or patience) come down amid the 
groans of the multitude ; while a third, carefully hus- 
banding his strength, would finally succeed in reaching 
the silver regions, and after picking a flower, and making 
a hasty choice, would seize a silver tankard, and, while 
cheer after cheer rent the air, quietly slide to the ground. 
Occasionally a furor would be caused by some wild re- 
port that the Emperor (who was known to have lately 
repaired to the camp at Chalons) was coming, and the 
excited crowd would look in every direction in which it 
would be possible for his majesty to approach. It did not 
take many moments, however, for them to become again 
absorbed in the surrounding pleasures of the hour. About 
three, the rain began to fall, and for a time the crowd 
scattered. Now the venders of wine and divers sorts of 



DIARY. 5! 

refreshments became very busy. People of all sorts, seek- 
ing shelter from the rain, tilled their tents or booths: 
and as all who availed themselves of these coverings were 
expected to spend a few sous, the owners reaped a good 
harvest. Soon, however, the people became accustomed 
to the rain ; and as there was no cessation of the freo 
performances, they again rilled the open spaces, and all 
went on as before. Mingling with them freely, to see 
for ourselves, and enjoy their enjoyment, we were as- 
tonished at the good humor and total absence of all 
roughness. 

Each and every one seemed to be quietly pursuing 
his pleasure, and what if many of the pastimes seemed 
fit only to beguile a child, so long as they answered the 
purpose of bringing joy to the hearts of the common people, 
whose daily toil was constantty adding to the beauty ofthe 
city, and increasing its innumerable attractions. How- 
can men w 7 ho have scarcely sufficient leisure to obtain ner 
cessary sleep and recreation be expected to be more than 
children in intellect. And certainly abetter behaved mulr 
titude were not to be found in any part of the world. 
None were noisy ; not one did we see who was in the 
slightest degree intoxicated. Besides the greater attrac- 
tions prepared for the amusement of the people by the 
government, there were a legion of lesser centres of at- 
traction gotten up for the purpose of private speculation, 
by people who were walling to forego the listless enjoy- 
ment of the day themselves, if by any means they might 
add to their precious store of savings by amusing their 
fellow-countrymen, and thereby secure a small portion of 
the sous which would be spent to-day by the poorest 
peasant. 



52 DIARY. 

From the time the rain commenced, it continued with 
brief intermissions until past seven o'clock. About 
half- past five, we left the scenes of festivity, and drove to 
the Restaurant de Petit Moulin Rouge, in the Champ dc 
Ely sec, where, with keen appetites, we enjoyed a well- 
served and in all respects most satisfactory dinner. Din- 
ner over, we again took seats in the carriage, and went to 
see the fireworks. But all the avenues leading to the Champ 
de Mars were guarded, and it was impossible to approach 
the spot whither the whole city (save the poor soldiers 
who had been confined ail day in the barracks) were bend- 
ing their steps. But at length we succeeded in getting 
upon a somewhat elevated road, and here we waited 
patiently until the hour when the display was to take 
place should arrive. It was some time before the signal 
rocket was fired, and the air was raw and damp. But 
when at length the magnificent display commenced, wo 
forgot the past in the surprise and delight which the en- 
tertainment afforded. The " bouquet," as the last piece 
was called, was beautiful beyond description. It was 
soon over, and we were following in the wake of a line 
of carriages a mile long, and driving through all the illu- 
minated parts of the city on which vehicles were allowed 
to enter. For the first time in many years the occupants 
of the carriages were allowed the privilege of a short 
drive in the Champs de Elysce on the evening of this Au- 
gust day. The place looked transformed, and with the 
brilliantly lighted cafes and resorts of various kinds on 
either side of the broad avenue, it presented a truly daz- 
zling appearance. In some of the Boulevards through 
which we rode were buildings, the windows of which were 
glittering with light ; and the various devices and inscrip- 



DIaET, 53 

tions in honor of the Emperor, arid in commemoration of 
the day, were striking and beautiful. Altogether the 
illumination, though not as brilliant as might have been 
expected, was enlivening, and could not well have beeii 
spared from the generous entertainment. The reaction 
would have been too great had the gorgeous blaze of fire- 
works, when they died out, left the city in gloom. It was 
more fitting that the joyous excitement should gradually 
subside, and light after light should go out, as score after 
score of the people went to their homes. And so it was . 
And when, near midnight, we entered the illuminated 
court of the hotel, we did not regret that the end had 
come, and that we had witnessed the successful termina-, 
tion of the great " Empcrevr's Fete." 

August 23d.— The end of our second month of travel 
finds us in Paris, and better acquainted, at least with its 
outside life, than during so brief a residence amid its splenr 
dors, we should have supposed possible, and than would 
perhaps, have been possible had we not enjoyed the guid- 
ance and companionship of our esteemed friends Dr. and 
Mrs. James B. Gould, of Rome, (formerly of New- York,) 
whose long residence abroad has made them well acquain- 
ted with Paris, as well as Italy ; and who have, fortunate-, 
ly, apartments in the Grand Hotel. 

The Parisians walk about, and in all respects act, as if 
hurry and worry were to be avoided as much as the 
plague, and we found that by imitating them we really 
learned more of Paris life, than we would or could have 
done had we maintained those restless, anxious habits 
which characterize so many of our countrymen. For a 
couple of sous one can secure a seat in the lively square of 



the Palais Royal, a mi by sitting there, and opening his 
eyes and ears, he can learn and see more in a single after- 
noon, than he could in several days spent in many other 
determinate though ill-directed endeavors to become ac- 
quainted with the people and their customs. We had been 
dining at the Cafes, attending the open air concerts in the 
Champ deElysee; continuing our evening rambles through 
the arcades and passages, varied by an occasional attendance 
upon some place of amusement ; visiting themint and other 
places of interest not before visited, doing a little shop- 
ping, and so forth. To our regret we have not yet seen 
the Emperor, although we visited some days ago the 
Palace of the Tuilleries. Although the Emperor is ab- 
sent, evidences of his power and authority are not want- 
ing. The work of the embellishment of the city still goes 
on. A great deal of destruction is preceding the recon- 
struction ; but it may perhaps be doubted whether tho 
Emperor is not a demolisher of men as well as of build 
ings. He is crafty, and knows too much thought 
among the people is not good for them ; or, if good for 
them, is not likely to strengthen the hands of an absolute 
monarchy. Every exertion is made to gratify sense, and 
special efforts are put forth on Sunday to induce the 
people to regard it as a gala day ; to cause them, as one. 
well expressed it, to " forget that they are accountable 
beings.' ; Still, one may live as he pleases in Paris ; and 
this is the special privilege of all who reside in large 
towns ; although few cities command the advantages 
which one who resides in Paris may enjoy. Few others 
offer the same opportunities for high mental and scientific 
culture, and not one holds out so many attractions to the 
mere votary of pleasure ; and although religion appears 



to be as little thought of as a poor man, vet it is a mis- 
take to suppose that one cannot be religious because he 
is in the midst of a gay throng, of whom it may be truly 
said, that " God is not in all their thoughts." In mosC 
things it may be best, " when in Rome, to do as the 
Romans do ;" but it is not always essential, nor is it' 
always right. 

Thursday, August 24//?.— It is seven weeks this morn-' 
ing since we landed at Havre. To-day is to be our last 
in Paris and on the continent of the Old World, as we are 
hoping to leave for England — upon the soil of which land 
we have not yet trodden — to-morrow morning. We have 
taken a long stroll on the Boulevards, Rue Rivoli, Vivi- ; 
enne, St. Honore, and other of the livliest streets, taking 
a parting looR at the shops, and purchasing a few last 
mementoes of our visit. Have this evening looked for 
the last time upon the gay gas-lit streets, swarming with 
inhabitants of all ages and characters, and which are for 
brilliancy unequalled in' the world. Taken our first and 
last dinner at the table d'hote in the magnificent Salle a 
Manger of the hotel, and are now about to lie down and 
seek a final night's rest beneath a veritable '* French 
root." 

Friday, August 2'jth — France to England.— Breakfasted 
a little before eight in the restaurant of the Grand Hotel, 
and not long after, for the fifty-first and last time, drove 
out of the grand court for the handsome depot of the 
" Clumin de fer du Nord" At nine o'clock and ten 
minutes, precisely, the train left the depot, and at half 
past one reached Bologne. Here we were detained an 



50 MAItY. 

hour, being conveyed to the pier in omnibuses, and being 
obliged to wait the arrival and shipment of the baggage. 
The crossing of the channel was accomplished in a couple 
of hours, and with but slight discomforture to a few of tin; 
lady passengers only. We were especially fortunate, not 
only on account of the weather, but because of our meet- 
ing with valued friends, whom it had been our happiness 
to ffreet both in Geneva and Paris. The fresh breeze 
and salt air were very refreshing, and many concomitant 
circumstances tended to raise our health and spirits. On 
our arrival at Folkestone, we landed amidst a con- 
course ot people. We felt that we were indeed " a sight 
to behold," being not only weary and travel-worn, but 
travel-soiled as well. However, we were not disposed to 
quarrel with the fair Saxon girls who had come to wel- 
come us to the shores of " Merrie England." 

By the express train we were transported, in less than 
two hours, to Charing Cross Station, and descending, like 
St. Nicholas, from the region of chimne}--tops and of 
smoke, with our packs upon (not our own, but the 
porter's) backs we were, in less than ten hours from the 
time we left the French capital, in London ! The exami- 
nation of our luggage (no one travels with baggage m this 
country) was very slight, but one trunk and one bag, out 
of the three trunks and three bags, being opened. With 
no very long delay, we were rattling over the pavements 
in the direction of the Palace Hotel, Buckingham Gate, 
where we found quiet, comfortable, delightful quarters. 
After getting rid of the dust of travel, we dined ; and 
during the evening B. and myself walked down the Strand 
in search of a map of London. This morning we ate 
breakfast in Paris — this evening we were strolling in 



JoiAia.' 07 

London ! It is pleasant to hear our own tongue spoken 
by all around us again, and to be able to get what we 
want without fear (there was no ground for fear, as the 
French never laugh at others) of making people laugh at 
us because of our trembling, hesitating pronunciation of 
the French. So much real, earnest life do we expect to 
find here, which one might look for in vain in Paris, that 
it is a relief to feel that the transformation has taken 
place. 

Saturday, August 2&tk. — The change from Pans (o fchs 
equally-famous, though more solemn, city of London, is 
great. It was hard to realize, on waking this morning, 
that we were really in the mother country — in the land 
whence came those from whom we were lineally de- 
scended, and where those great men lived and labored 
whose immortal works had helped to form our characters 
and inform our minds. Whatever may be the feelings 
which one nation may bear or may have born towards 
another, justice demands that prejudice should not be al- 
lowed to interfere with the appreciation of intrinsic 
worth. So long as reverence and affection are stronger 
than hate, so long must all true-born, noble-hearted 
Americans love old England. Though the younger na- 
tion be equal in poorer in many respects, and superior in 
natural and undeveloped' resources to the elder, yet how 
can she speak with natfea of that land from whence the' 
pilgrim fathers .came ! (Vide Macaulay.) The land fronV 
which she derived her language, and, indirectly, her solid 
e.haracter and consequent strength. We have no affection 
for titles, no slavish cringing before the British Lion, and 
yet we rejoice "that we are in England. 



fi|8 DIAU1'. 

We left the hotel about half-past twelve, and drove 
first to the office of the old American banker, George 
Peabody, where we obtained letters from home. The 
names of the streets through which we passed were very 
familiar — the Strand, Cheapside, Haymarket, Fleet, Lud- 
gate Hill, etc. We passed the huge and grand edifice of 
St.— Paul's" Old St. Paul's "—the theatre of thrilling scenes 
so intimately associated withthe history oft he city, and many 
monuments erected to the memory of famous English- 
men. Our first : ' sight" was, justly, that of the Tower 
of London ! a relic of the time of Julius Oaesar, if not of 
some earlier monarch. We saw the water-gates through 
which Queen Elizabeth was wont to pass on her way 
to Westminster, the White Tower, Beauchainp Tower, 
chapel, jewels, etc. Walked round the entire pile, and 
spent in all some two hours in and about the momentous- 
ly interesting spot. Laid our throat upon the beheading 
block, the same (we were told) from which the head of 
Anne Boleyn fell. Saw the executioner's mask and 
axe, and some instruments of torture used by the Spanish 
inquisition. Went into the room or cell where Sir Walter 
Ealeigh spent thirteen years of his life in close confine- 
ment, being employed meanwhile upon his history of 
England. The underground dungeons were closed. In 
the Beauchamp Tower we spent some time deciphering 
the inscriptions ; among others were these, " Sic v'n>e vt 
tieris r " (so live that thou mayst live,) " El morirc ne mo- 
riericris, (and die that thou mayst die not). The name 
was T. Salmon, and there was a crest formed of three 
salmons. The device and mottoes we are not likely to 
forget. Another, "Hope to the end, and have patience," 
seemed especially appropriate to the place. " Patience" 



DXAET. 61 

was apt to work out " experience" here ; and it seems to 
have had that effectupon this word sculptor, judging from 
the weighty and wise sentiments he has elsewhere in* 
scribed upon the walls of the cell. Many incidents con- 
nected with these carvings are truly affecting as well as 
interesting. Many an inscription here would, we think, 
furnish an excellent text for a sermon ; as the lives of 
some of the personages whose names are here recorded 
have yielded the materials for more than one fascinating 
work of fiction. 

While passing through the White Tower, the warden 
called our attention to the skillful arrangement of various 
parts of different weapons which (formed into ingeniously 
contrived devices) adorned the ceilings of the apartments. 
One in particular represented the " Passion Flower," He 
also directed our attention to the •' Harmour of Enry the 
Haighth," and to the thickness of the walls ; in some 
portions measuring fourteen feet ! Having stood for a 
moment in the chapel, and listened to the history attached 
to it, as narrated by our courteous conductor, we descend- 
ed to the court, and entered the Jewel House. Here, beside 
the crown jewels we saw the precious fount from which the 
water was taken wherewith the Prince of Wales was 
baptized; his crown; etc. 

Leaving the place, around which so many powerful 
associations cluster, where kinas once dwelt, and illus- 
trious men and women were sheltered or murdered, we 
drove to the Thamesj Tunnel, representations of which 
had adorned our geographies from our earliest no-nothing 
days, and excited our infant wonder. And truly it is a 
wonderful work ! Whatever else may be said about it, 
one thing is certain, and that is, that although it may go 



63 PJARJ. 

tfoicn, it can never burn down. For the amount of on$ 
penny we were permitted to descend to the region of per- 
petual night and dampness, and, after walking through 
its entire length, we ascended to the street on the op- 
posite side of the river. During our passage forth and 
back, we were besought to purchase various articles 
offered for sale by the occupants of the stalls; but the 
constitution both of the goods and the venders of the 
same, had become affected by the humidity incident to 
their location, and neither presented a very attractive ap- 
pearance. It is a singular place to spend one's days in, 
descending at sunrise and ascending at sunset. Shut out 
from all the world, these denizens of the Thames seem 
not to apprehend that the explosion of the powder maga- 
zine of some ship might shiver their alabaster cups into a 
thousand pieces, and destroy not only their business but 
their lives. It is not probable that the explosion of the 
boiler of some one of the river steamers over their heads 
would cause them the slightest discomposure. Fortu- 
nately, their thoughts do not soar so high ; and the only 
matter for regret is, that, notwithstanding many of them 
attain a good old age, these honest, contented, happy 
people, do not live out half their days. 

August 21th, Sunday.. — This morninir we went to West- 
minster Abbey, consecrated not only as a place for wor- 
shiping God, but also as a monument in which to im- 
mortalize man. Still, it may justly be observed that 
the works of most of the men to whose memory tab- 
lets have here been erected, do glorify God, and their 
authors are, therefore, appropriately remembered within 
these venerable and sacred walls Cannon Hawkins 



mxv,r : ql 

,(Aukins, We wore informed) preached a good sermon from 
the text, " Canst thou by searching find out God?" The 
grand old Abbey seemed an appropriate place in which 
to argue so great a question — a question which every 
thoughtful man has, at one time or another, sought to 
solve, and a vital question in a land where the great re- 
sponsibility of life is acknowledged, and the Sabbath 
at least outwardly observed. Whether all could say 
"Amen !" at the close of the discourse, God only knows. 
The preacher's answer to the problem was, that " Man 
did not find God ; but God came to and found out him." 
• In the afternoon we attended St. Paul's. Owin"; to 
the respect shown for religion in this city, and to prevent 
the worshipers from being disturbed, vehicles are obliged 
to stop at some distance from the entrance, and the occu- 
pants to walk quietly t6 the door of the porch. Enter- 
ing, with others, within the vast building, we were in a 
moment standing beneath its lofty dome, and receiving 
the impression with which the vast proportions of the 
architecture of the interior of this magnificent edifice in- 
spires one. With a feeling of awe we followed ti:oso 
who had preceded us into one of the chapels, and heard a 
most beautiful choral service, and a discourse of a profit- 
able kind. It was late when the service closed, and we 
had little time to notice the marble monuments, but ex- 
pect to go again for that purpose very soon. 

August 2Sth. — This morning we went again to West- 
minster Abbey. Our party was increased by the society 
of Mrs. H., and together we looked at the monuments, and 
read the inscriptions, erected to the memory of the princes 
and poets of Great Britain. Saw tablets erected to tho 



6S DUET. 

memory of Shakspeare, Milton, Spenssr, Chaucer, and 
others too numerous to mention, in the Poet's Comer ; 
aid in the chapels, including Henry the Seventh's, through 
which we were afterward shown, the tombs of Elizabeth, 
her unhappy sister Mary, Charles II., William and Mary, 
etc. As we reverently trod the sacred aisles, we felt, as 
Washington Irving, in his most feeling and truthful 
" sketch" of this famed abbey has so well expressed it, 
" as if we were disturbing the hallowed silence of the 
tomb," and that we were " surrounded by the congre- 
gated bones of the great men of past time, who had 
filled history with their deeds and the world with their 
renown." 

Next we visited the magnificent Houses of Parliament. 
Although at first refused admittance beyond the passages 
leading to the House of Lords, on the one hand, and of 
Commons, on the other, we at length, by patience and 
perseverance, succeeded in obtaining a view of these 
richly ornamented houses, and also of the picture gallery, 
robing room, and libraries. After viewing for some time 
the fine picture of Moses, with the stone tables contain- 
ing the ten commandments, we drove to the British Mu- 
seum, and there passed the remainder of the day. Saw a 
manuscript of one of Shakspeare's plays ; also, hand- 
writings of Scott, Macaulay, Washington, and others ; 
many curious and ancient volumes; the Egyptian An- 
ticpiities ; and so much that was deeply interesting that 
we were very loth to come away. To most visitors the 
splendid library is more attractive than the mummies 
and the lamps of the ancients. We certainly preferred 
to look upon the stereotyped brains, the most substantial 
remains of great authors, rather than to inspect the 



mas if. $% 

**. heads of collossal dimensions" of the ancient Egyptians. 
We copied but a single line which accompanied an en-' 
graving of Shakspeare, and was as follows : 

" This figure that thou herd secst put 
It was for geutle Shakespeare cut, 
Wherein the Graverjbad a strife 
With nature, to out-do the life. 
O could he but have drawn ae his wit 
As well in brasse, as he hath hit 
His face ; The print would tleu turpasi 
All that was ever writ in brasse ; 
But since ho cannot, Reader looke 
Not on his picture, but his Bookc." 

Tuesday, August 29. — Grccuicirh. — Went by boat upon' 
the Thames to Greenwich, and visited the handsome old 
hospital, where the veterans of the navy find tr home, after 
their age and infirmities disqualify them for further active 
service. A sail through this famous river, in the very 
midst of the densely populated city, offers one a good view 
of the tower, the London docks, and other objects of 
interest. Among others, the ship yard, where the greatest 
of ships, the Great Eastern, was built. There are innu- 
merable landings, and the river seemed as greatly crowded 
with crafts of all descriptions as are the streets with all 
sorts of vehicles. We were astonished with the rapidity 
and skill with which these hundreds of little iron steamers 
were piloted under the arches of the magnificent bridges, 
and through- narrow passages, seemingly impassable. 
Steaming over the heads of the living inhabitants of the 
catacomb-like tunnel, we were soon alongside the 
" Dreadnaught," and immediately thereafter landed at 
Greenwich dock, whence we had a fine view of the com- 
manding pile, which seems to stand as if hewn out of solid 
rock ; and, as a home for those who have spent their lives 



a 



DIARY. 



•Apon the ocean, presents a strong contrast to the ever- 
restless, turbulent sea, upon which they have spent so' 
great a portion of their lives. After looking at tho 
portraits of various commanders, and representations of 
stirring naval engagements in the Painted Hall, and tho 
various relics of Nelson and the Franklin Expedition in 
the Upper Hall, we went into the chapel, where we pjw 
West's Shipwreck of St. Paul. Passing out upon the 
broad stone piazza, we saw the blind, the halt and the 
lame sailors ; some of them stooping from age, walking, 
sitting and talking ; and heard them testify to the comfort 
in which they lived. Most of them sat, facing the obser- 
vatory, from which they had so often recjioped "Longitude 
west from Greenwich ; " and the Hospftal seems in all res- 
pects an approp/iat place for them to rest in at last. As we 
were passing from the hall of one of the buildings, an old 
sailor approached, having a stic'i in one hand, with which 
lie seemed to be feeling his way. Mrs. B. asked him if he 
were blind, ' ; Yes," he said. " But your eyes look bright," 
she responded. " Yes, Ma'am," lie answered, " too bright," 
4 'too bright." We went away reflecting on his words, and 
thinking how applicable they were to the seemingly bright 
lives of many a weary, world-sick soul. 

August Mth. — Went first to Madam Tussard's Exhibi- 
tion of Wax Figures, The models were surprisingly 
natural and life-like. One hi particular, representing an 
old woman, leaning upon her stick, and viewing the col- 
lection, we mistook for a being of flesh and blood. Another, 
an old Quaker gentleman, with the usual broad-brimed hat' 
upon his head, and placed upon one of the seats, intended 
for visitors, was so inimitably represented that visitors in* 



■ - 
diary. Ci> 

variably stepped out of the line of his vision. Almost the 
first figure that met our eye was the manly presence 
commanding form, and mild, though decisive countenance, 
of George Washington! It was, indeed, a "speaking 
likeness/' Groups of the Royal Families, and principal 
personages of Fiance and England : Luther, Rosseau, 
Pcnn, Shakspeare; actors, heroes, poets, statesmen, church- 
men, Kings, Queens Presidents, divines, murderer's, con- 
Cjucrors, and the great oims of all hinds were wonderfully 
represented, Now and then it would strike the beholder' 
that these notabilities were living beings. Lincoln and 
Davis were represented as talking amicably together, as if 
attempting to adjust the affairs of the nation ; while, in an 
adjacent room (especially appropriated to statues of mur- 
derers) Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, mi'ght bo 
seen. Booth's statue had been advertised as one of the 
greatest recent acr[uis:tions of this class. There were 
a!so to be seen relics of Wellington and Napoleon, and 
the costly coronation robes of George IV. 

Nest we went, to the Royal Mews, or stables, where we 
aw the handsome horses belonging to the Queen, and the 
state and plain carriages of II, R. II. Queen Victoria. 

Last of all we drove to the National Academy, and re- 
mained about two hours. Some two or three paintings 
might justly have occupied the time devoted to the entire 
collection. A few by the) great masters, some of Rubens' 
domestic scenes, were the choicest. Turner's productions . 
occupying one entire gallery, recpuire much study, in order 
to be appreciated. So, at least, we judged. An evening 
drive in the Strand and elsewhere, in order to see sorrie- 
thin!i of "London bv jraslis'ht," finished the "order of 



&<j DIARY. 

exercises" for the day, and gave us enough to think and 
to dream about for more than a day. 

August C0//>. — To Sydenham. — It docs not rain as (we 
were told it did in this country) all the time. The sun 
shone brightly and hotly enough on the occasion of our 
first ride about the city, to give one of our party a hard 
headache ; and it has shown most of the time, as if to con- 
tradict the unfavorable impression we had formed, that we 
should experience nothing but gloomy weather, and Eng- 
lish dislik to United Statesmen, or as everyone calls our 
counytrmen here, Americans. Reiving upon the promise 
of continued dry weathe.i, we took an early start for Syden- 
ham, in an open carriage. Driving down Victoria Road, 
through Belgrave Place, etc., we crossed Chelsea Bridge, 
and passing Battersea Park, were soon in the suburbs of 
the city. The sun being partially obscured, and the 
weather not oppresively warm, the ride was a very pleas- 
ant one, and yielded us the opportunity of seeing some of 
the beautiful suburban cottage residences. Nearly all of 
them had names printed on the gate or boundary posts, 
and many of them were very pretty, as Ivy Lodge, EfTray 
Lodge, etc. Arrived at the Palace, we drove under the 
covered portico, and passing the recording gate, entered 
the wondrous fabric of glass and iron. A mere sight of 
the light and beautiful structure would have afforded an 
ample compensation for the journey. It seemed as if 
it were indeed a castle built in the air ; but one, under 
neath which a substantial foundation had been placed. 
The fruit exhibition, which was the special display at this 
time, was the finest in some respects that ever wo had 
jooked upon. The grapes were unequalled ; the size and 



DIARY. 67 

beauty of the clusters rivalling any we had ever seen 
before. Passing through the various courts, we found 
much to admire ; interesting specimens of antique archi- 
tecture, of different lands and ages, and many beautiful 
pieces of statuary. Among the latter there was a 
plaster cast, the subject of which was a warrior's wife, 
mourning over her husband who had fallen in battle, and 
embracing the noble animal upon which he had ridden 
to the fatal field. The intense and hopeless sorrow de- 
picted in the mourner's face w T as truly affecting. Many 
other works of art attracted our attention, and are worthy 
of the praise bestowed upon them. The foreign and 
tropical plants located in the naves of the palace were 
curious and beautiful, and the green of the higher trees 
contrasted with the crystal walls inclosing them, formec] 
a picture very agreeable to the eye. We also saw the 
bark of the " Wellingtonia Giganta ;" the California tree, 
supposed to be 4,000 years old, and it is consequently 
probably the oldest thing contained within the transparent 
walls of this elegant edifice. While going the rounds of 
the galleries we occasionally caught sight of the tastefully 
arranged terraces, walks, statues, and fountains of the 
handsome grounds surrounding the Palace ; but, although 
we spent a number of hours within the glittering structure, 
we found no time to visit them. During our tour through 
the arcades, we were reminded of the booths of Baden 
Baden, so multitudinous was the variety of fancy goods 
offered for sale within the place. Indeed, we found as 
much entertainment in gathering souveniers of our visit in 
those lively little shops, and in the galleries of the. palace, 
as we had done in viewing many of the lesser attractions 
of the place. It happened quite accidentally that we 



G3 DIARJ- 

visitsd the Crystal Palace on a " shilling day," as it is 
called ; and consequently the class of people whom we 
met, were the very class who enter most heartily and 
simply into the pleasures of the hour. "Who come in the 
morning and remain until nightfall ; and to whom llie 
varied enjoyments of the day, inclusive of the grand 
concert, is a season of " unadulterated happiness." Our 
own pleasure was increased by the sight of their happy 
faces, and the interest and intelligence which they dis- 
played. We left them in the very midst of their enjoyment ; 
but it was pleasant to think, as we drove away from the 
exceedingly grand and magnificent palace, that there were 
hearts within its walls whose joy was as pure and light 
as the crystal roof above their heads. This evening we 
have been to a concert at Covent Garden, where we heard 
Charlotte Patti sing, and some wonderfully fine clarionet 
music. There were few occupants for first class seats and 
boxes ; tjie first families being either at their estates or at 
Brighton or elsewhere ; but there came up a volley of 
uprorious applause from the parquet, which was crowded 
to excess, both by occupants of the seats, and those who 
had procured promenade tickets. There were some four 
or live different prices of admission. The performance was, 
upon the whole, a very enjoyable one ; notwithstanding 
the house was neither " brilliant" nor " fashionable." 

Scjrtcmhcr Is/. — The summer (so far as its name is con- 
cerned) is over and gone. But there is nothing in this 
bright and beautiful morning betokening the incoming 
of the delightful, " sweet, melancholy days" of autumn. 
Going into the reading-room, before breakfast, to look at 
the London Times, we had the pleasure of shaking hands 



DUST* 69 

&nth Cyras W. Field, who is a guest in this house. He 
seemed in no wise discouraged at the second failure of 
the Atlantic telegraph, and said they " had only come 
back to get a little more ammunition." 

Strolling through the " Bird Cage Walk," we took one 
of the little steamers from Westminster Bridge to London 
Bridge Pier, and thus went " down town." We visited 
the Royal Exchange, Bank of England, Browne, Shipley 
& Go's., and a number of the shops ; and were finally 
driven rapidly home in one of the " hansomes." Although 
we had seen hundreds of these vehicles flying through the 
city, we had not entered one before, and were highly 
pleased with our experience of them ; they were navigated 
through the crowded streets as skillfully and as rapidly as 
the iron steamers of the Thames arc piloted through the 
numerous shipping of that river. Notwithstanding the 
length of the reins, the jehu seemed to have perfect con- 
trol of the animal. When we had occasion to speak to 
the driver, a trap-door in the roof formed a convenient 
medium of communication. We have been struck while 
riding about the city, with the peculiar effect which the 
weather and climate produce upon the buildings; making 
the new ones look like old ones, and the older ones to ap- 
pear as if built of different kinds of stone ; and giving a 
look of great antiquity to the edifices 01 the great metropo- 
lis. So much is there to be seen and cp.iietly enjoyed in 
London, that some are tempted to think seriously of taking 
up their permanent abode within sound of the Westminster 
bells. There is a wonderful combination of art as well as 
nature within the limits of the city. A drive of a few 
minutes, or a walk of not immoderate length will conduct 
one from the bustle of the city into the quiet and rural 



70 DIARY. 

seclusion of Hyde Park, or into the midst of the fine coU 
lection of plants and animals in the Botanical and Zoologi- 
cal Gardens of Regents Park. Here one may receive 
much instruction, as well as entertainment. Many parts 
of London — Trafalgar Square, for instance, presents an 
appearance of strength and nobleness unequalled by por- 
tions of any other cities in the world. 

Sunday \ September 3d. — London. — Went this morning to 
the Scotch Free Church, Crown Court, Covent Garden. 
While waiting for the pew holders to lake their seats, had the 
pleasure of meeting with James M. Brown and family. As 
wc were not allowed to enter until just before the service 
commeuced, we had the pleasure of inquiring after mutual 
acquaintances at home. And when at length we were per- 
mitted to enter the hallowed, though very plain chapel, it 
was a privilege to worship with those whom we had known 
in our own homes across the sea ; with them to pray and 
give thanks unto Him who doeth all things well. We 
listened to a very simple, thoughtful discourse from Dr. 
Cummings. He had nothing to say about the " Great 
Tribulation" this morning. Perhaps he holds not the tame 
views he once held upon that subject, at the present time. 
From the very mild manner he exhibited while deliver- 
ing the very thoughtful discourse, one might imagine that 
he had himself become a child of the Kingdom, " through 
much tribulation." Afternoon went to Surry Chapel, 
where Rowland Hill preached for fifty years ; but we did 
not hear Dr. Newman Hall, as he was absent from the city. 

Monday, September 4th. — Left London in the noon train 
for Windsor Castle, the residence of the noble Queen of 



UlARY, 71 

England. First of all, on arriving within the enclosure 
of the grand old palace, we climbed the Keep or Round 
Tower, whence we obtained a fine view of the beautiful 
surrounding country. It is said that a view of twelve 
counties c;in be had from the height. Next, we visited 
St. Joseph's Chapel, where Edward IV., wlio commenced 
the building, is buried. Here we saw the exceedingly 
beautiful and mournful cenotaph erected to the memory 
of the Princess Charlotte, and a monument of more recent 
date, placed here by Queen Victoria, in memory of her 
mother. The sculpture upon the face of it represented 
the lady's acts of Christian benevolence- — feeding the 
hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, and 
ministering to the afflicted. We also paused to notice 
the new altar piece erected by the Queen to Prince Albert's 
memory, etc. As the Royal Family were expected to re- 
turn to Windsor during the day, we were disappointed in 
not being able to gain access to the state apartments ; but 
after visiting the Riding House, onjojel a drive in the 
"Long Walk," two-thirds of the distance to Snow Hill,' 
upon the crown of which we saw in the distance, the 
statue of George III. Having time to visit neither Frog- 
more nor the Virginia Water we drove to Eaton High 
School or College, and visited its library, and dihing-room, 
etc. Upon the walls hung portraits of those who were 
"foundation scholars" within these old w T alls at one time; 
but who had achieved name or fame in their land, and 
whom the college now delighted to honor. 

September 7th — London.— Yesterday we made a long 
and special visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, the greatest 
building in Great Britain, and in size among the largest in 



72 fttoi. 

the world. Wo first examined the fine statues to the 
heroes of the army and navy, and then visited the whis- 
pering gallery, library, cloek, and bells; and thence 
climbed to the ball. Having climbed into the ball for a 
moment, we descended to the platform surrounding the 
Golden Gallery, from whence a most extended view of 
the vast and seemingly limitless city, is obtained — a city 
containing buildings a thousand years old ! — a city whose 
power had been felt throughout the world; and yet it 
was made up of individual men and their works alone. 
Hundreds of men whose deeds have immortalized them, 
and some of whose forms, sculptured in marble, surround 
the inner walls of this wonderful temple, have walked ia 
the shadow of the cathedral, and are no more ; and still 
the busy conflict of life goes on, and the interest in things 
present swallows up the interest in things past, and, in 
too many instances, the interest in the things to come. 
The " golden" gallery is indeed a rich spot whence to 
garner a harvest of thoughts ; but a man must take a 
comprehensive view with his mind's eye, as well as his 
natural eye, if lie would preserve his reason, unless (as 
did the artist who once spent several weeks in the dome 
While engaged in sketching the wonderful prospect) ho 
intends to take up his abode in these sky regions. For- 
tunately we were obliged to descend. To-day we have 
taken a last look at old London Bridge; a last sail on 
the Thames; a final drive beside the Serpentine in Hyde 
Park ; a farewell stroll through Regent Street ; and hav- 
ing given directions regarding our letters, intend leaving 
London on the morrow. 

Friday',- September S/A. — By a singular combination of 



1UA11Y. 72 

unforeseen circumstances, the weekly return of this day 
lias almost invariably found us journeying somewhere. 
Not only did We set sail from our native city on Friday, 
but on the third Friday we journeyed to Rouen, on the 
"fourth to Geneva, on the fifth to L'ueern, (and a memora- 
ble journey it was,) on the seventh from Brussels to Paris, 
'and of) the eighth from Paris to London ; and this morn- 
\ve took an early start for -Scotland. Leaving our 
i-like quarters in the Palace Hotel. 
about nine *o*clock wc reached the' handsome station of 
the London and Northwestern Railway in good- -time ; 
and having taken seats in the " throu»li " carriage for 
Edinburgh, were soon out of the city, and enjoying some 
of the beautiful meadow scenery of England. We left 
London with regret, ; notwithstanding the log, and the 
"smoke, and the mud, of which Frenchmen visiting the 
vmun : y -complain so bitterly (and we know that some 
frenchmen think as much of their polished boots as we 
do of their polished maimers). We have not been in any 
wise inconvenienced by either' of those- elements. The 
•earth has been dry, the air line, the (ire (smoke) has re- 
mained in its appropriate regions, and the water '(raiTi) 
has not in a single instance, during our stay in the city, 
•descended upon cur heads. Upon the early morning 
one day only was there any. log.- Whatever may be 
the -predominating /climate of the land, we believe the 
moral atmosphere is constantly improving ; that there is 
enough of the leaven of goodness and the principle of 
growth, physical; intellectual, and religious, to preserve 
it from destruction ; and not only to preserve it, but to 
promote the increase of the powerful influences which 
iro forth from this sj-reat centre into all the world. liny- 



\ t 01. \i; 

laud and- America — that is, the true and noble men and! 
women in both countries — are pledged to the same work i 
U) uphold and extend the same privileges and blessings' 
into and throughout all the regions of the world. "Would 
to God thai there were more such women as Queen Vic- 
toria, and such mini as our immortal Washington, in these 
present days, and every land were blessed with the life 
and labors of a St. Paul. 

We had none but pleasant, reco41ectk>tts of our visit as we 
journeyed northward. At twelve, we arrived at far-famed 
Rugby, where " Tom Brown" spent his happy school 
daws. At Preston, which town we reached about half- 
past three, we lunched, and about six arrived at Carlisle.- 
Soon after leaving the latter place, we crossed the little 
j-iver, and were in Scotland. The sun, which had shown 
upon us every day since our arrival, in Great Britain, (a re- 
markable fact, if the stories of previous travellers are to be 
credited.) illuminated the fields, and made the water of the 
streams to sparkle during most of the way : and we had dust 
in abundance. It w:.s between nine and ten o'clock when 
our long day's journey came to an { i n:\. Tired and hun- 
gry, we sought the Royal Hotel, but eould gain no admit- 
tance, and were recommended to the tender mercies of a 
Frenchman named Dejay, the keeper of the Hotel Fran- 
cais, where we found English comfort and French fare ; 
and alter recruiting on poulct. and cognac, wooed " tired 
nature's sweet restorer/' 

September dth. — Ktlinburgli. — -As we sit at out window 
to write the record of this day, there looms up before us 
the wonderful old Castle of Edinburgh, built upon the 
i'ocks. Never, should our lives be spared, (''e'en down to 



diary; 75 

<>'<! age") shall we forget our visit to this ancient castle 
and fortress, within the walls of which we have this 
-day spent several hours. Th ity ; the sur- 

rounding country ; — including the Salisbury Crags and 
Peutland Hills — together with the Frith of Forth ; — ;:., 
seen from the plateau, upon which stands Elizabeth's little 
chapel, (also discemable from the windows of Dejay's,) is 
altogether one of the most impressive we have yet seen. 
We could have passed days upon the battlements, view- 
ing the wide and fascinating landscape. It stirred up the 
depths of our minds, and revived tender associations of 
years gone by. There is a mysterious sympathy between 
the body and the mind — -between bodily heights and men- 
tal heights. The little chapel, Queen Mary's crown, 
sceptre, and sword of stale, as well as her private apart- 
ments in the tower, were all visited. Reluctantly we 
left the castle, ami drove to the interesting palace of 
Hollyrood, where we were shown the identical bed in 
which the unfortunate Queen of Scots once slept, the 
room in which Rizzio was murdered, the blood stain upon 
the floor, the picture gallery, and so forth. We trod 
reverently the pavement of the crumbling abbey, and lost 
the opportunity of being immortalized in connection there- 
with by not remaining within the sacred enclosure while 
an artist took a photographic view of the ruins. Strange 
things happen in these latter days, when people can sit 
quietly in their parlors at home, and vet sec the moun- 
tains, and castles, and old abbeys of far-distant lands ; 
and there is something singular in the thought that these 
haunt; of history are being represented upon pictured 
cards, to be transmitted to all parts of the world, by an 
art which was (when these old castles stood in all their 



1G> MARY- 

glory) undiscovered and undreamed of! I ji the very 
room i;i whjeh stood the veritable bed upon which Queer* 
Mary reposed, we bought can! photographs representing! 

that room and its contents, perfcctl)*, even to the tapis try 
hangings upon the waji, and J.ho hale in the door opening; 
into the sot-ret passage — by means of which Darnlcv and 
his confederates succeeded in effecting an entrance into* 
the s'upping-room adjoining^ and enacting tin 1 fearful 
tragedy in the very presence of the Queen. And so ii 
was, go where we might, an opportunity .was afforded us. 
of carrying away not only an image of the h*teresting ob- 
jects in tiio mind's eye, bul accurate representations of 
those objects upon which others as well as ourselves 
might look, and from the view receive pleasure and in- 
struction. 

Leaving the sleepily interesting edifice of Ilolyrood, wo. 
enjoyed greatly a ride in the Queen's Drive, almost en-, 
tirely surrounding the Salisbury Crags, from whence we 
obtained new, beautiful, and extensive views of the neinh-. 
boring country. In the course ofjour ride, as \jje passed..: 
St. Anthony/s .Well, ' children .came running; after, t-hc: 
carriage, and offering us gjasses of water from that crystal: 
spring, or pebbles .from its stony., bottom. Further on 
we came in sight of the cottage (or the place. where the 
cottage once stood) in which the heroic -Jennie Deans: 
(nice abode, and from which she set forth, in God's 
strength, upon her long and perilous journey of love and. 
mercy. It was very pleasant riding thus amid the classic- 
localities of " Mid-Lothian," which the Scott of Scotland 
— and of all the world thus far — lias rendered famous. 
The hour was toward sunset, and the shadows were 
Cruet henimx all about us, while the emerald green of 



DIARY". 77 

Arthur's scat was bathed in light. Thrre was indeed 
much enjoyment afforded us in that ride of one short 
hour. We. would have prolonged it indefinitely had it 
teen possible. 

Sundmj, Sqitcmhn- 10vA, Edinburgh. — This is a great 
city in which to hear sermons. Preaching is not con- 
fined to the churches, which are numerous ; but it' one is. 
not too tired to stand, lie may listen to extemporaneous. 
discourses deliycred at the corners of the streets with un- 
surpassed earnestness and solemnity. The Sabbath f|ues- 
tion is much agitated, and the running of Sunday trains 
uncompromisingly condemned. All the inhabitants of 
the city appear to he church-goers, and happiness, con-, 
tent and health appear in the faces, of those whom we 
meet in the street. We have ourselves heard two very 
excellent and orthodox discourses. The first, preached by 
Dr. Alexander, of the Independent Church, was afair sample 
of the style of that eloquent divine. The text chosen 
was the sixth verse of the sixth chapter of Ephesians, 
' As the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from 
the heart." " Words," said the speaker, " orginally ad- 
dressed to the slave," but which might be construed in, 
a broader sense to apply to all God's children upon earth. 
We might view God's afflictive providences submissively, 
and this was well ; but the perfect and highest attainment 
was to view them as manifestations of God's character, 
as not not only good, but the best. An earthly sovereign 
might give laws not in accordance with his real character;, 
but the providences of God were not only discoveries of 
Himself, but a very part of Himself. We should believe 
that God wills what befalls nz, and that therefore it is 
bent.' 1 Such were some of the comforting and assuring 



7S DIARY. 

words which fell upon our cars, and were treasured up 
in our hearts ; and although the manner of the preacher 
was cold, we could not but believe that his sympathy 3 
were warm. 

Afternoon, went to St. John's Episcopal chapel. As 
the service had commenced, the doors were' not only 
closed, but locked ; and we were about to leave, when 
the sexton opened a very small door on the east side of 
the church, and we were invited to enter. The edifice, 
within and without, w&.s a handsome one; and although 
the dimness of the religious light, and the height of the 
pew enclosures, made it difficult to see either preacher or 
people, it did not prevent — nay, it aided — our enjoyment 
of the beautiful and not unprofitable discourse upon the 
scripture promise, " Thy peace shall flow like a river.'' 
The preacher spoke of looking from nature up to nature's 
God. He dwelt particularly upon the illustration in the 
text ; spoke of the purity of the stream compared with 
the men who dwelt upon its banks, and whose strifes 
and passions caused so much misery. The beginning of 
the river, like the budding of grace in the soul, was 
sometimes almost imperceptible. But it grew broader 
and deeper as it advanced, until, at last, like time, it 
reached the ocean of eternity. What could man do with- 
out the river of life '! What if men were not prepared 
to enter upon the ocean of eternity ! 

Moiii/ait, September lUh. — Edbilurgh. — Our visit to the 
celebrated University of Edinbro', this morning, was 
one of more than ordinary interest, from the fact, that 
some whom we had known had been educated within its 
Avails. Here more than one great man had in his vouth 



bixilY. ', V 

garnered rich si ores of the very highest classic and scientific 
knowledge, and the erudition, both of those who have been 
students, as well as those who have been and are profes- 
sors in this college, has caused it to be celebrated as one 
of the first and highest institutions of learning in the workL 
We were shown into the spacious library, the floor of 
which was carpeted, and the room wore a delightful air 
of comfort and seclusion. It seemed a fit storehouse for 
ihe works of those writers whose thoughts have, to a great 
extent, " ruled the world," and an appropriate and pleas- 
ant place in which to study the productions of those master- 1 
minds* In short, it was just such a place as a study should 
be. The museum was undergoing alterations, and a cloud 
of lime-dust prevented us from extending our observations 
in this direction. After visiting the Royal College of 
Surgery, where we found much to excite our interest and 
curiosity, as well as our wonder and admiration, and 
enough to occupy more time than we had at our com- 
mand, we drove through Kicolson Square, and George's 
Hquare, (on the west side of the latter, once stood the 
house of Walter Scott's father,) and arrived in due time at 
Hariot's Hospital, a most noble institution, for promoting 
the education of the sons of reduced citizens, and which 
has for more than two centuries been in successful opera- 
tion. Passing through the chapel, dormitories, assembly 
room, and so forth, we learned much regarding the studies, 
character and manner of life of those who had been and 
were the privileged inmates of this school, and saw a 
likeness of George Hariot, the distinguished founder ; and 
also portraits of some of those who had made themselves 
names in the world, since leaving this, their early home. 
In passing through the court, we noticed that many of the 



small, square stones with which iris paved wore numtae.oiU 
and upon inquiring into the cause, were told, that each buy, 
upon his first enrolment as a member of the school, re- 
ceived a number by which lie was afterward d ssignated 
and that whenever the school was i er — pre*- 

vioasly to marching td chapel Or — eh pupil 

was required to stand upon the particular pavement I 
ing his number. By this simple (contrivance, i1 is said, 
much confusion is avoided and better discipline secured. 
The vacation had just expired, and we saw soriie of the 
well-dressed smaller boys drawn up in line ju£t as we were 
leaving the grounds. 

Next, we visited the Botanical Gardens. After enjoy 1, 
ing a ramble through the greater portion of the fine 
grounds, and viewing* the choice and curious plants with 
which they are enriched, we visited the extensive green- 
houses. While within these glass? structures, 1 vve climbed 
the spiral staircase leading to the galleries in the upper 
portion of the building; but found ourselves not only 
amongst the tops of the tropical palms, but in the midst: 
of a tropical heat so intense, that the perspiration poured 
from every pore of our bodies, as if we were undergoing ;t 
Russian vapor bath. Leaving the garden, we changed 
our position, and stood upon Carlton Hill, Whence a good 
view of the city is obtained, and upon which stand Nel- 
son'?, the unfinished National, and Playfair's monuments, 
and also the Observatory. Alter some time spent in en- 
joying the varied and fine prospect, we descended the 
steps fronting the debtor's prison, and driving to the 
National Gallery, visited its collection. Wc closed this 
well-spent day (during the course of which wc have, per- 
haps, seen more than in any one day since we landed upon 



DIARY. SI 

the shores of the old world,) by a visit to GreyfriarS, the 
scene of the sufferings of so many holy men, who died 
martyrs to the faith : Who died like their Saviour, that 
others might live through their triumphant testimony. 

September 12///. — Occupied the day in journeying to the 
little village of L., in Fifeshire. We had a somewhat 
misty sail across the Firth of Forth, in the steamer 
" Forth," and reached our destination about noon. Here, 
though not far distant from Edinburgh, we were in the midst 
of the quiet and seclusion of the country, and, much to 
our satisfaction, learned something of the peasant life of 
the Scottish people. Entering one of the houses of the 
cotters, we were particularly struck with the neatness 
and comfort of their abodes ; and the books upon the 
shelves betokened their appreciation of the advantages of 
an educated mind. Some of them, though humble, and 
contented with their sphere of life, are yet acquainted 
with other than their native tongue ; and even the young 
women, in one or two instances, were cood Latin and 
French scholars. Through the influence of Christianity 
alone have the common people of Scotland become even 
more elevated and refined than the same classes in Eng- 
land ; and far more so than the peasantry of any other 
European country. Religion leads them to respect and 
cultivate themselves, and raises them in the social scale ; 
and what else could or would accomplish this end ? 
Would that those who possess greater privileges and 
knowledge of the world had more of the power of religion 
in them — that we had, during the past years of our lives, 
114 clone, instead of doubted — warred, instead of wept." 

There is, perhaps, something more impressive in a jour- 

n 



di a ur. 



ney into the quiet, solitary, rural districts of a foreigti 
land than there is in a visit to its great cities; inasmuch 
as there is more change in the latter. But when one 
contemplates the hills and valleys across which generation 
after generation have wandered, or the village green upon 
which the children of each succeeding generation, for a 
thousand years, have sported, and which have always 
been the same, he begins to experience a feeling of awe 
weighing down his spirits, making it impossible for him 
to give utterance to the thoughts that fill his mind. 

September V3th — Edinburgh. — The experience of every 
hour in this grand and delightful city is so fraught with 
interest and pleasure, that each day deserves a separate 
record. About twelve, went into the Antiquarian Museum 
of Scotland, and spent more than an hour in examining 
the various relics of past ages therein collected. Some of 
them were Grecian, some Egyptian, and others Indian; 
but the more part, and the most interesting portion, con- 
sisted of sculptured stones and coins, which had been dug 
from the very soil of Scotland ; proving its great age as 
an inhabited and civilized country. Afterward we drove 
to Leith, and walked to the end of one of the very long 
piers, extending almost a mile into the water. Although 
it is only the middle of September, the wind was blowing 
with such force from the west as to make the undertaking 
well nigh dangerous and difficult of accomplishment. Re- 
turning to the city, we visited the house in which John 
Knox lived, and from a window of which he delivered 
his sermons. We sat in his study chair, read a psalm in 
his Bible, and passed through, one after another, the de- 
serted rooms. Being the only visitors, we had a good 



DIARY. S3 

opportunity to inspect at leisure aught that attracted 
our attention. But it is not always pleasant to visit even 
the haunts of those who have long been dead, when the 
noise of one's own footsteps in the deserted chambers is 
the only sound that is heard. 

Srptember 14th — Edinburgh. — Driving to the Scott 
monument this morning, B. and myself ascended to the 
tup of this magnificent structure, and enjoyed the fine 
prospect for about half an hour. This splendid testimonial 
is worthy the city and the man. Its history is most in- 
teresting ; and the only sad circumstance connected 
therewith is, that the talented architect was drowned be- 
fore the edifice was finished. Having from this height 
viewed, for the last time, the scenes of the birth-place of 
those events of which all the world has heard, (and will 
continue to hear,) through the genius and labors of the 
man to whose enduring memory this monument has been 
erected, we drove to Roslyn Castle and Chapel, distant 
six miles from Edinburgh The excursion occupied the 
remainder of the day, but well repays one for the time 
and strength expended in making it. The chapel is a 
most beautiful and interesting specimen of architecture, 
equaling in those respects, though small as to size, any that 
we have seen during our travels, and is many hundred years 
old. It is indeed a rare gem, and we spent a long time in 
studying and admiring its special beauties, sculptures, and 
inscriptions. The story of the wreathed pillar, and of the 
founder, and the noble hound who saved his master's life, 
interested the visitors much. The guide also explained 
at length the meaning of various portions of the adorn- 
ments of the chapel. The ruins of the castle situated in 



Si DIARY. 

the midst of most enchanting scenery, were next inspected, 
and afforded ns an example of the strength, gloominess, 
and, to a certain extent, wicrdncss of the castles of the olden 
time. On our way back to the carriage- — alter a walk 
through a part of what was, at one time, a portion of the 
magnificent terraced gardens of the palace — we stepped 
for a few moments into an old burying-ground not far- 
distant. We found, among others, one old tombstone, 
containing the following quaint lines : 

" Underneath this sod doth lie 
As much virtue as could die, 
Which when alive did vigor give 
To as much virtue as could live." 

We left the spot about three, and returned to the hotel 
in good time, much delighted with the day's experience, 
and with appetites that did ample justice to the turtle 
soup, and all the other good things which had been care- 
fully prepared with special reference to our farewell 
dinner in " Old Keekie." 

Friday, Scjrtcmbcr 1 5th — Edinb i/rg-h — Glasgow. — The 
fated day (Friday) having arrived, we propose journeying 
to Glasgow this afternoon, and this morning have been to 
see the handsome Eegister Office, and St. Giles' old 
church, at the latter place Knox preached, James IV. made 
a farewell address to his subjects, and a certain Dean's head 
came into contact with a vulgar stool. The old 
women who were engaged in cleaning the different chap- 
els were at first apparently much annoyed at our in- 
trusion ; but after a time became very communicative, 
and at length we were obliged to tear ourselves away 
from their highly interesting societv before the half had, 



DIARY. S5 

been told us. Although their appearance was not pre- 
possessing,, their conversation evinced that they were by 
no means ignorant of the historical associations connected 
with the floors which they scrubbed. One story in par- 
ticular engaged our attention. It was in relation to the 
old custom of bringing condemned criminals to church 
(and to this venerable edifice in particular) upon the 
Sabbath previous to their execution ; and the manner in 
which, upon a certain occasion, one of two miserable 
men brought hither enabled the second and vounsrer to 
escape, not only from the custody of the soldiers, but from 
death — he himself, the deliverer, losing his own chance of 
escape that the other might live. Leaving this interesting- 
place, we went to the Gallery of Statuary, containing, it 
is said, one of the finest collections of plaster casts in the 
United Kingdom, and including, among others, the Apollo 
Belvidere and Dying Gladiator. 

Evening. — Arrived in Glasgow per the Edinburgh, and 
Glasgow R. R., about four o'clock. Not knowing that 
the Queen's Hotel was just thirty steps from the sta- 
tion, we waited some moments, in order to secure a con- 
veyance, and were at considerable labor to bestow ourselves 
within and our effects upon the top of the carriage, and had 
only just established ourselves comfortably for the ride, when,, 
to our amusement, the coachman having turned the corner, 
informed us that our journey was ended. After a quiet, 
pleasant dinner in our rooms at six o'clock, we went to 
Argyle street — the Broadway of Glasgow — to walk, and 
strolled up and down for about an hour, looking in occa- 
sionally at a shop window, and doing a little shopping. 
Our first impressions of Glasgow are, that though a great, 



86 DIARY. 

and a busy metropolis, it is still a somewhat dull city. 
Full of churches, and containing many bad characters. 
But this latter characteristic is perhaps not to be won- 
dered at, considering the vastness of its manufactures, 
and the great number of those employed therein. 

Saturday, September 10///. — Went this morning to visit 
the Cathedral, once and for a long time the place of Roman 
( latholic worship, but now called the High Church, and no 
longer filled with the incense of superstition, or the mum- 
meries of the priests. Although not comparing in grandeur 
with many others which we have seen, the edifice abounds 
in legendary and historical associations. The traditions 
concerning St. Mungo, the reputed founder, appear too 
wonderful and contradictory to be true, especially the 
miracles he is said to have wrought. "It is affirmed, that 
after he came to years of understanding, he did never eat 
flesh, nor taste wine or any strong drink ; and when he 
went to rest, slept on the cold ground, having a stone for 
his pillow ; and that, notwithstanding he lived thus hardly, 
he did attain to the age of nincscore (!) and five years." 
But although the age of the founder may well be dis- 
credited, there can be no doubt as to the antiquity of the 
church itself; and it was a singular fact, that some of the 
stone found upon the ground, which had become embedded 
in the soil with which the building was repaired some 
years since, bore marks, proving it to be a portion of some 
earlier temple of worship which had been erected on the 
same spot. Scott, in " Rob Roy," does well to call it "A 
brav3 kirk ; a' solid, weel-jointed mason wark, that will 
stand as lang as the world, — keep hands and gunpowther 
aflfit." But had it not been for the Government mandate, 



DIAU\. s? 

.'it the time of the Reformation, the frenzied people would, 
in their endeavours to " purge it of all kynd of monuments 
of idolatrye," and make it " a mair Christian-like kirk," 
have destroyed it altogether. The mandate was as follows : 
"Fail not, bot ze take guid heyd that neither the dasks, 
windocks, ner durris be ony ways hurt or broken, either glassin 
work or iron work." The structure was subsequently 
arranged to accommodate three distinct congregations. 
The oak pulpit in the inner high is many times older 
than the oldest preacher that ever occupied it j being, 
it is supposed, 700 years old. Passing through the 
beautiful Lady Chapel, we next descended to the Crypts, 
originally intended as the burying place for the priests ; 
but subsequently used as a place of worship. The " dim, 
religious light" was very dim indeed ; and it is to be 
hoped that the spiritual illumination which came to those 
who here, in very truth, " sat in darkness and in the 
shadow of death" exceeded the material light by which 
they were surrounded. Having previously examined the 
handsome painted windows, the subjects of which are 
almost wholly scriptural, and the number of which is 
very great — furnishing, as it were, a lithographed Bible, 
which all may read and understand — we bestowed a few 
moments upon the various monuments and inscriptions. 
Many famous men have walked these floors. Bruce and 
Cromwell have been within its walls ; but no creature 
of royal blood who has ever visited the Cathedral is more 
worthy of fame and admiration than Queen Victoria, who, 
some fifteen years ago, came hither for the purpose of view- 
ing its beauties. Before getting into the carriage we 
visited the church-yard, where the slabs are arranged in 
rows upon the surface of the ground, and so closely 



SS DIARY. 

that almosl every foot of the enclosure, save the fev^ 
narrow paths intersecting the tombstones, is covered. 
It solemnizes one's mind, this peculiar arrangement, 
but does not strike one at all pleasantly. It seems 
as though these heavy weights had been placed w^av. 
the breasts of those who were asleep in death to prevent 
them from coming forth out of their graves. No 
" living green" is seen, for there is no room for it to 
grow ; and all seems as cold and stony as death itself. 
Next we went to the College of Glasgow, bearing 
the date "Anno Dom. ]6-54,"' upon its exterior. This 
old building, together with the Cathedral, are the most 
interesting specimens of the antiquated architecture of 
the city. Driving to the Green, and from thence along 
the river side to Glasgow Bridge, and beyond, we re- 
turned by the way of West End Park, where the new 
and handsome residences of the wealthier portion of the 
community arc located, and the new free church Coll cue 
stands. We saw the spot whereon the old University 
is to be newly located, on the opposite side of the Kel- 
vin, and many of the principal streets of the city. Eve- 
ning, walked in Argyle and other streets. The whole 
city — that is, the humbler classes — seemed to be out of 
doors, and by far the greater portion of them appeared 
to be quite young. No doubt they belong to the number 
of those who are daily confined to hard work in the 
numerous manufactories of the city, and whose whole 
life is one long continued struggle for existence. 

Sunday, September 17 th — Glasgow. — About ten, we 
ascended the " Bell of the Brae," as the higher part of 
High Street is called, to hear Rev. Dr. Norman Macleod j 



DIARY, £9 

Ibot were disappointed in not hearing him. However, 

we listened to an excellent discourse from the nephew of 

the illustrious clergyman ; and although hewas quite a 

we thought the Doctor could not have had a 

t time, we noticed the 

prior to each 

;. '. filled, and 

the ■ 

hole, 
at 5 P. M., by ] in our c. . 

usual, in ord 

3d to attend church — another proof of i 
keeping character of the Scottish people.) we went into a 
neighboring place of w ' ' . \ :e we heard a very 
earnest, stirring, impressive sermon, from I : "And 
as he reasoned • eousness, tern . and judge- 

ment to come, Felix trembled, and said, when I have a. 
convenient season I will call . -.'' Seldom^ if ever, 

f e we listened to a preacher with more attention, and 
such a sermon it would perhaps be impossible for one to 
hear out of Scotland. The speal Med his discourse 

into three heads : 1st, the model preacher, Paul ; 2d, the 
convicted hearer; and 3d, the dangerous procrastination. 
Paul, he said, spoke with great fearlessness and boldness 
to Felix, who was a cruel, licentious, w man; re- 

buking his vices; preaching to him light government, 
temperance, and judgment to come; and Felix so far 
forgot himself and his Ion — he was so moved by the 

the Spirit of God— -that he frcmblal. (Had any present 
trembled ?) Put he gathered up his skirts and passed 
out of the room, sealing his destiny by his choice and his 

12 



90 DIARY: 

fatal delay. Would any before him defer that day ? The 
preacher spoke as one who felt that much depended upon 
his preaching — upon the words he uttered at the mo- 
ment — and so warm were his appeals to those present 
that it seemed strange to see the people quietly sitting in 
their seats. To one unaccustomed to such an impassioned 
style, it would seem as though the very walls must cry 
out, 

Monday, September 18th — The Clyde. — Left in the 
eleven o'clock boat, starting from Glasgow Bridge, and 
sailed down the Clyde as far as Greenock. Saw the 
large ship-building yards, where the wonderful vessels of 
the Cunard and other lines (by means of which thousands 
annually cross the ocean) are constructed. Passed Dum- 
barton Rock, famed in history as the place of the confine- 
ment of Wallace, and as the foundation of the castle 
which was taken by Crawford in so bold and remarkable 
a manner. We looked upon it with great interest before 
reaching it, and long after we had passed it, remembering 
the while the admiration and fascination with which, 
during the years of boyhood, the reading of the " Scottish 
Chiefs" had inspired us for the character of Wallace. 
Some of the views were charming ; and the sky being 
overcast, the sail was very enjoyable. But one incident 
occurred which was not in all respects pleasurable. 
When about half way between the G's, (Glasgow and 
Greenock,) not the boat, but a passenger upon the boat, 
took fire. The conflagration was caused by a spark from 
the smoke-stack of the steamer, and in a few moments 
Bmoke was seen to issue from the folds of a rich and becom- 
ing silk basque upon the person of Madame •. As- 



DIARY. 91 

eistance was immediately rendered, but not until the 
flames had extended ; and so far as the appearance of the 
article was concerned, it was totally destroyed. Fortu- 
nately the lady sustained no irreparable loss — her in- 
surance being ample — and she took no other notice of the 
occurrance than to change her seat, lest, should another 
firy shower descend upon the deck, her person as well as 
her wardrobe might be consumed. 

Arrived at the seaport of Greenock, we walked up into 
the town ; and after refreshing ourselves at a place where 
there were so many eatables of a palatable description that 
we did not know which to choose, we employed a driver 
and carriage, in order to see all that was worth seeing. 
These objects were not a few, besides the beautiful 
drive by the Firth, and a fine view of the entire town, 
river and mountains from the Whin-hill, Returned by 
rail to Glasgow about five o'clock. 

TVedncsday, September 20th. — Ayr. — Yesterday we pass- 
ed a quiet day; and having seen our friends off for Ayr- 
shire, (they have gone in search of a portion of their past 
lives,) we went into the Royal Exchange to read the 
London Times of yesterday, and a file of the New York 
Times for the past month. During all our travels we 
have not seen a finer edifice consecrated to the divinity 
" News." The latest intelligence from all parts of the uni- 
verse is posted upon bulletins at the upper end of the hand- 
some hall as soon as received, and one need not be at 
the trifling labor of looking for it in the papers, although 
many duplicate copies of all the most important sheets in 
the world, including " The New York World," abound 
u The stranger, as well as he that is born in the land," 



92 Disitr. 

has the privilege of frequenting this truly Royal Exchange 
at will. Sauntering through the beautiful Argyle Arcade, 
one is much interested in noticing the beauty and great 
variety of !an Tartan, (Scotchwood,) articles exposed 

for sale. Besides the hundred and one specimens of these 
goods which have ah ' en carried across the water, 

and which we had soon at home, we found many new and 
choice paterns of exquisite workmanship. We were told 
that the inventor had accumulated a large fortune, and 
that most Of the articles were still printed at one par*, 
tieula 

This morning left Glasgow in the half-past ten train ? 
reached Ayre about half-past twelve o'clock. The rid, ,3 
along the coast was very pleasant, and some of the views 
were charming. Arrived at the pretty gothie railway 
station, we paused a moment to admire its very orna- 
mental architecture, and then passed up the principal 
street in search of the " King's Arms Hotel." A single 
direction from one of the " honest men" was sufficient, 
and we reached its sheltering arms just in time to be pro- 
tected from the descending rain. Taking possession of 
the sitting-room, which was fortunately a front one, and 
on a level with the street, we found entertainment in 
reading the " Scotsman" (advertisements and all) and one 
of Sir Walter Scott's novels, and in looking at the out- 
side world. At times it rained hard ; but the bonnetless 
and "bonny lasses" who passed the widow seemed as 
much accustomed to water as they were to Ayr, and, 
by their very laughter, shook the rain from off their nut- 
brown cheeks and tresses. The town is more than usu- 
ally livelv, in anticipation of to-morrow's races, and the 
annual county ball of Ayrshire, which it is anticipated; 



DIAKY. 9S 

will bring to the town greater numbers than are at present 
gathered here. Booths have been erected in some of the 
principal streets, and the people are rejoicing in prospect 
of the temporary excitement. About five, went to meet 
the friends who had preceded us, and conducted them to 
the hospitable King's Arms, where we soon after dined. 
The " King," we were informed, could entertain us but 
one night, as the apartments assigned us had been en- 
gaged for some time past by those who intend to thread 
the mazes of the dance to-morrow night. But we were 
well content, as we had no intention of remaining to wit- 
ness the Ayr ball, and we certainly did not care for the 
foot ball part of it. Evening, went out to visit the " Twa 
Brigs." We crossed the auld one, and recrossed the Ayr 
River by the new. The only " dialogue " we heard was 
carried on by ourselves, in reference to the structures 
but no doubt, had we remained long enough, the Brigs 
might have told us many a tale of by-gone years — in 
imagination, at least. 

September 2lst — Ayr. — T »Ye drove this morning first to 
the cottage in which Burns was born ; and after walking 
through it, and inspecting the likeness with which the 
inner hall is adorned, purchased a view of the building 
itself, and next visited Alloway Kirk, where Tam O'Shan- 
ter saw the witches dance. Thirdly, we visited the 
Burns Monument — a fine commemorative work. Its site 
is well chosen, and the view from the top is a very lovely 
as well as grand, embracing ocean, mountain, plain, as 
well as the romantic grounds surrounding the monument 
itself, together with the birth-place of the poet, the Old 
Kirk, and Brig O'Doon. In the lower portion of the edi- 



94 DIARY. 

fice, within the small square room, we saw some memen- 
toes of Burns, and of his Highland Mary. After saunter- 
ing through the grounds, comparing our watches with 
the sun dial, and remembering our guide, (in considera- 
tion of which he allowed us to pluck a bit of mistletoe as 
a souvenir of our visit,) we got into the carriage, and after 
riding a short distance, got out again, and walked over 
the bridge spanning the Doon. Here we listened to the 
de-tailed account of Tam O'Shanter's passage of the Brig, 
and of his narrow escape from the witches. Driving 
thence to the little inn, we went for a moment into the 
small shell grotto, an ingeniously arranged little' cabin on 
the banks of the Doon, and after looking upon the humorous 
statues of auld Tam O'IShanter and Souter Johnny, his 
boon companion, we took our glass of ale, and departed. 

Afterward drove to the race course, and attended the 
Western Meeting, where, taking our place in the line, 
we passed the remainder of the day. Saw some of the 
fashionables of Scotland, who came in their handsome 
elevated equipages, and, with few exceptions, remained 
throughout the day. The last race took place about 
five ; after which we repaired to the King's Arms, and 
dined, returning to Glasgow by the seven o'-clock train. 

Tuesday, Scj)tc7nbcr 2Gth — Liverpool. — Adelphi Hotel. 
This is to be our headquarters until we leave the shores 
of the Old World. We have been in this commercial 
emporium only a few days, but like it much. It resem- 
bles New York in many things : in its crowd of ship- 
ping ; its street cries ; general business life, and bustle. 
Our lodgings are particularly pleasant, and the quiet, 
comfortable life we live within our rooms is in striking 



hUkt. £g 

contrast to the tumult going on without. Twice every day 
our table is noiselessly and temptingly spread with luscious 
food, and everything is done so quietly that it seems 
sometimes as if we were enjoying the luxury of a home 
in a foreign land. So well pleased are we with the 
appointments of the house, that we are not sorry that 
it was impossible to procure rooms in the " Queen's. On 
Sunday the hush throughout the city was universal, and 
we attended St. George Place chapel, where Dr. Raffles 
preached for so many years. To-day we have driven past 
most of the principal buildings, and visited the St. James 
and Necropolis burying grounds. The former is most 
singularly located, below the level of the surrounding 
streets and houses ; and although in the very midst of 
the city, none of the thousand different sounds are heard 
by the visitor walking among the grave-stones. Some of 
the worthy men who passed their whole lives within the 
city were here buried within its very heart; and who 
could desire a higker tribute than the following, which 
we found upon one of the monuments : 

" If upright worth and virtue claim a tear, 
Keader, 'tis due to him who sleepeth here — 
Grateful, Affectionate, Sincare and Kind, 
His memory's dear to those he left behind. 

Though some one might wish to add to it, it is one 
that the greatest and most renowned might covet. An- 
other, a simple but melancholy one, also interested us ? 

" The languishing head is at rest ; 
Ite throbbing8 and achings are o'er ; 
The quiet, immovable breast 
Is heaved by affliction no more." 

Also visited the very attractive Botanical Gardens, 



86 MART. 

where one may spend an hour most delightfully. The 
superior skill displayed in arranging and contrasting va- 
rious plants are seen to perfection ; and particular portions 
of the gardens, where the flowers are planted upon ter- 
races, are strikingly beautifuL The Wavertree Park, 
adjoining, we did not explore, and after a drive to Birken- 
head returned to the hotel. 

September 2Stk. — Went this morning to the Royal Gal- 
lery of Arts, where we saw some very good paintings* 
The best were principally scriptural subjects. Among 
them was a remarkably and terribly expressive fuce of 
Christ upon the cross, also " Christ disputing with the 
Doctors," and ".alary washing the Saviour's feet," were 
faithful representations. There were also casts of various 
pieces of celebrated statuary. The Royal Museum con- 
tains a most wonderful collection of birds and shells, and 
stuffed animals, made by William Roscoe. Leaving these 
interesting places, we went for a few moments into the 
Ladies' Bazaar, Queen's Hall. It was a fair held on be- 
half of some church, and there was the usual complement 
of grab-bags, worsted and other ladies' fancy work, charm- 
ing girls with very winning ways and persuasive manners, 
and " refreshments." In short, a. fair is very much the 
same sort of an affair the world over ; but as we fared well, 
and the fairs treated us fairly, we have nothing of which to 
complain. From this place we went to the Prince'sand 
other docks, which extend for miles along the banks of 
the Mersey. It was interesting to witness the opening 
of the massive gates, the rapidity with which the foot- 
bridges are turned, and the passage of some large vessel 
through the dock gates. There is something curious in 



DIART. 97 

Hie perfect, immovable security (so far as the water is 
concerned) of a ship when resting safely in one of these 
artificial basins, compared with its condition when bound- 
ing' upon the stormy billows of the ocean. So accus- 
tomed does one become to seeing a particular vessel in a 
certain given locality for many weeks, that it seems, 
When at length the vessel begins to move slowly and al- 
most imperceptible toward the narrow outlet, as if a very 
part of the town itself was about to change its position 
or take its departure. It would seem as though the in- 
habitants mast needs be a cosmopolitan people, when 
ships from all parts of the world, containing the luxuries 
and the natives of all lands, arrive daily at almost their 
very doors ; and it is interesting for one who has no 
knowledge of the destination of one of these packets, to 
go down to the docks, and watch her progress from her 
secure harbor out into the sea — speculating, meanwhile, 
as to which quarter of the globe she is to visit ; the 
length of time she may be absent; the strange adventures 
she may meet with while being borne over the vast ex- 
panse of the great deep, and the changes which may oc- 
cur ere those who now set out hopefully upon a long 
voyage again return to their native land. Those who do 
business on the great waters must oftimes have thrilling 
thoughts and experiences. But, after all, business is 
the aim in all these transactions in commerce, though 
romance may be connected therewith. Of all places the 
harbor of Liverpool would seem the last place for a 
dreamer. Here all is practical, and the man of money 
thinks mainly of the chances and prospects of trade ; of 
the profitable harvest he is to reap ; but, after all, he is a 
dreamer ; for is it not the dream of wealth that brings 

13 



\)8 DIART. 

Jiim to the spot? Alas, that liis anticipations should fail 
of being realized. Liverpool, it is said, has doubled 
itself in twenty years, owing to its vast commercial re- 
lations, and is extending itself greatly in certain direc- 
tions. Perhaps it would not be easy to compute the 
number of dwellings erected with every new dock that 
is built. " No man liveth unto himself." The aim of, 
comparatively, a few men to enrich themselves, cuds in 
their being the means of promoting the wealth and 
growth of whole cities, and of giving the means of life to 
not a few of their inhabitants. The most commanding and 
the handsomest building in this city is St. George's Hall. 
Here we listened one evening to various performances upon 
the strand orcan. The selections were admirable, and so 
well and feelingly executed as to bring a spontaneous 
smile of pleasure upon the faces of the listeners, and 
pleasant dreams to their minds. To our regret, the 
affair lasted but an hour. The organist was Mr. W. T. 
Best, and we thought the name a most appropriate one. 
With all due respect to our countrymen, W. H. Morgan, 
it was not the only Best, but the best performance of the 
kind that has ever delighted our ears or stirred our feel- 
ings ; and not knowing to what cognomens the first two 
initial letters of the artist's name referred, we thought they 
might not inappropriately be denominated : Wonderful — 
Talented— Best. 

Friday, September 29th. — Drove down London "Road, 
and through the beautiful private residence parks. After- 
ward, went into the School of the Blind, where we heard 
very good singing by the inmates. Most of them 
came from their work into the small hall. There was a 



DIARY. 99 

..0 of sadness upon the countenances of a few, but it 
was mingled with an expression of contentment; and one 
or two faces wore the aspect of hearty good humor. The 
time and harmony were admirable ; and we could not 
doubt but that their sense of hearing was much quicker, 
and their enjoyment of the music much greater, than it 
w r ould have been had they been in the possession of all 
their faculties. The small audience room was full to excess, 
and the sympathy awakened by the earnestness with which 
the singing and chanting was executed, and the misfortune 
of the singers, made the occasion a most interesting and 
affecting one. The pieces were mostly of a religious com- 
position. We afterward saw the blind men making bas- 
kets ; and, going into the wareroom, looked at the great 
variety of wicker and worsted work, and other articles 
of various descriptions. After purchasing some memen- 
toes, we left the place much pleased with our visit. 
Reached the hotel .about four; and just as we were en- 
tering, we were reminded that our days are numbered, 
by hearing of the arrival of the Scotia. God grant her 
next ocean voyage may be a safe, a prosperous, and a 
speedy one ! 

ScjHcmbc}- 30th — Liverpool to Dublin. — Left the Prince's 
Dock about eleven o'clock, and crossed the Mersey to 
Birkenhead; from whence we journeyed to Hollyhead by 
rail, changing carriages at Chester. We caught sight of 
the grand tubular bridge — a great work of art. of which 
[ill the world has heard — and had an occasional glimpse 
of the mountains of Wales. About hall-past two we , 
Hollyhead, and occupied about four hours in crossing 
St. George's Channel, arriving at the fine harbor o ' 



100 DIARY. 

Kingston at half-past six. Taking the train in wan 
in half an hour we were in Dublin ; thus making- the jour- 
ney from England to Ireland in eight hours. After a 
late dinner at the Gresham Hotel, we strolled down 
Sackville Street, and crossed the Liffey. 

October 1st — Sunday, in Dublin. — At eleven o'clock, left 
the hotel to attend the Presbyterian church, Rutland 
Square ; but learned that the service did not commence 
until the unusual hour of twelve. We then visited sev- 
eral other places of worship, but found that twelve was 
the customary hour, and concluded to return to Rutland 
Square. The squares through which we walked were 
strangely quiet, and the streets almost deserted. Being 
still much before the time, we had an opportunity of 
looking at the new and beautiful edifice, itself. We 
learned, furthermore, that it was an old Scotch church, 
and that it had been erected chiefly through the liberality 
of one private gentleman. The service was simple, ani- 
mated and impressive, such as one might expect to hear in 
this land of native eloquence. " If the Son shall make 
you free, ye shall be free indeed," was the text of the 
sermon, and it contained several apt and striking illustra- 
tions, some original and beautiful ones. He was not in- 
tending (said the minister) to speak of the freedom of 
some foreign body or nation, but ourselves. There was 
much counterfeit freedom. That of the maniac who 
twines together what rags he can find, and putting them 
upon his head, struts about in presence of his miserable 
companions, giving his orders and imagining himself a 
king, yet all the while casting sidelong glances at his 
keeper, of whom he stand; in awe. So men stood in 



DIARY. 101 

pr of God's judgments. As men in counsel arc enabled 
by the telegraph to speak to one another, when far-distant 
from each other, as if but a curtain hung between them, 
so God's judgments are brought near to man by the 
human conscience ; so God's will and the world above 
is brought into instantaneous communication with the 
heart of man. Man in terror of these judgments is not 
aided in the onward course by a representation of greater 
punishment, but needs to be drawn by love to God — as a 
ship sailing into some foreign port, and, striking upon a 
rock, cannot be pulled off by any power, but may be 
easily loosened by the rising of a few feet in the tide. 
We are charged with sin, but we may be discharged. 

In the afternoon went to the " Cemetery of Prospect," 
and walked through the grounds, some portions of which 
are tastefully arranged. Saw the O'Connell monument, 
and the coffin in which the remains of the great Irish- 
man repose. It was painful to notice the requests upon 
the stones that the passer-by would pray for the deceased ; 
and we were struck with one quotation from the Apocry- 
pha, declaring it to be "a good and wholesome thing to 
pray for the dead.'' Before returning " home," we drove 
to St. Patrick's Cathedral, an old building, recovered and 
rebuilt from and upon the remains of the former ancient 
edifice. It is truly a beautiful building, and contains, be- 
sides several monuments, (including a bust of Dean Swift, 
whose remains are here buried), a most exquisitely sculp- 
tured pulpit, representing several of the apostles, and the 
appropriate texts, " How shall they believe in whom they 
have not heard ? How shall they hear without a preacher ? 
How shall they preach except they be sent?" 



a 02 .DIARY. 

October -2d — Dublin. — This morning wo read several 
columns in the daily paper on the " Fenian Agitation." 
The article affirms that the conspiracy is preventing tour- 
ists from visiting Ireland, and injuring the " Dublin Inter- 
national Exhibition." We found, however, in passing 
into the entrance hall of the Exhibition buildings, a goodly 
number of visitors, all of whom seemed to be much en- 
tertained with the display of sculpture, paintings, and 
wares peculiar to the nations from whence they came. 
Costly silks and bronzes from France ; Russia leather and 
stag-ware from Russia ; the interior of a Chinese house 
from China; skins and furs from Nova Scotia; magnifi- 
cent carriages of all descriptions from England ; and so forth. 
The Italian sculpture, chiefly from Rome, and pure and 
white as the native marble from which it had been cut, w T as 
very beautiful, and worthy the journey across the channel 
to see it. Among them were statues of Saul and Judith, by 
our countryman Mr. Story. There were not a few line paint- 
ings, a number of which were the property of no less a per- 
sonage than Queen Victoria. The reconciliation between 
Reynolds and Romncy was peculiarly well executed, and 
the collection contained many paintings which we would 
be pleased to call our own. The grounds surrounding 
the palace are charmingly and handsomely arranged, 
and looked very inviting from the balconies. After se- 
lecting .a few photographic views of the building itself, 
and a few of its treasures, and doing a limited amount of 
" shopping" in the arcades, we enjoyed a drive in Phoenix 
Park, a very extensive green, containing some seventeen 
hundred acres. There arc not a few noble trees within 
the park, and pleasant rides several miles in length. Saw 
the Lord Lieutenant's and Lord Mayor's carriage..; while 



MART. 103 

ruling. The half hour devoted to the Zoological Gardens 
was very entertainingly spent. We saw the handsomest 
tiger in one of the cages that we had ever looked upon, and 
watched the animals while the keeper fed them with the 
raw and dripping carcass of some less fortunate quadruped. 
The collection is one of the finest in Europe, and" de- 
serving of a more lengthened and careful examination than 
we could bestow upon it. But we had yet to visit one or 
two of the large well-stocked dry-good stores, in order to 
secure some souvenir "from Ireland," to take to those 
whom we did not wish to forget, ere we made ready for 
the first and only night journey we have made during all 
dur travels. 

Friday, October Gilt — Liverpool. — Our last day in the 
Old World has dawned, and its light has faded away ! 
To-day we received our final salt-water letters, and have 
packed our thinks for the return voyage across the ocean. 
The last few' days have been passed very quietly. Not 
that we have seen' ev'eiy thing which one might be in- 
terested in viewing in this city, nor because we have be-' 
come satiated with sight-steeing. But there has' come an 
unaccountable quietude upon our spirits — an undefinable 
hush — the cause of which we have not attempted to an- 
alyze. Perhaps it is induced by the thought that the 
travel which has been so fraught with deep pleasure, ex- 
citement, satisfaction, and profit, is at an end. Amoi. 
the latest and best delineated pictures that we have seen 
is one entitled "From Waterloo to Paris." It repre- 
sented Napoleon in the cabin of one of the abodes of thi 
lower classes, seated before a blazing wood fire, wrapped 
in the sternest and most soul-absorbing meditations, while 



104 DIARY. 

the startled awe-struck owners of the hut arc gazing at hint 
in astonishment, and carrying on a pantomimic conversa- 
tion. It was a fascinating picture ; and as the thoughts 
connected with that bloody field of battle so engrossed 
the mind of that mighty fallen general as to fender him 
oblivious to his own position, as well as to all that was 
going on around him, so may it be that the recollection of 
the sights we have seen, the sacred historic grounds upon 
which we have trodden, has rendered our humble selves 
scarce conscious of our situation, and heedless as to the 
busy flow of life by which we have been so constantly 
surrounded — not that we have any distinct remembrance 
of any particular journey, or wonderful exhibition of 
man's perseverance and genius. It is rather a realization 
of a vast accumulation of images and thoughts, impressed 
indelibly upon our minds, to be recalled and enjoyed when. 
time and distance shall have enabled u's to meditate calmly 
upon the past. 

Sunday, Octohcr Sth — Off Q//catstoicn.—\Ve embarked 
yesterday, under most favorable circumstances, about nine 
and one-half o'clock, and were under way by half-past 
eleven for America. The sun was warm and the water calm, 
and we passed most of the day on deck. We came to anchor 
at Quccnstown before daylight this morning, and here we 
have remained almost all day. About eleven, attended the 
English Church service, conducted by Captain Judkins in 
the large saloon, where by far the greater part of the pas- 
sengers were assembled. The Captain's maimer and aspect 
was serious and agreeable, and the service well and hearti- 
ly conducted. For a sermon, we listened to one of the 
" Graver Thoughts of a Country Parson," and all joined 



DIARY. 10-3 

heartily in the prayer, written expressly for those upon 
the sea — upon the bounding billows of which we were 
soon to be tossing. About four, just as we sat down to 
dinner, and in a storm, we left port. Owing to the 
tide and the short sea, caused by tlie storm, there was 
much motion ; and between seven and eight o'clock not 
a few were unmistakably sea-sick, and went to bed for- 
getting that it was Sunday — forgetting in a moment all 
past pleasures, and in fact everything but their own 
miserable selves. 

October 9th. — Got out of our births about eight o'clock. 
Sea-sickness gone ; but owing to the heavy swell many of 
us complain of an unpleasant sensation in our heads, as 
if the upper portion of our craniums were about to part 
company with the lower. ' We ate but a slim breakfast. 
Spent most of the day on deck, reading, talking, and walk- 
ing. Found a sheltered spot behind the wheel-house, 
where we sat for a long time watching the waves, and 
thinking of the unchangeable past ; the uncertain present ; 
and the possible future. Wind " dead ahead/' Making 
thirteen knots per hour. 

October Wtli. — Sea much agitated. Uncomfortable re- 
maining upon deck a part of the time. Wind still direct- 
ly ahead. No sail seen all day. Many passengers sea- 
sick. Those who are not affected, are many of them 
quiet and moody. The Scotia's company, as to soci- 
ability, is in striking contrast to that met with on 
board the French ship Lafayette, during our out- 
ward passage. We have several well-known merchant- 
gentlemen, and bankers, of $ew York, on board ; among 
them, R. L, Stuart, William Butler Duncan, and Charles' 

14 



iuv> DIARY, 



Livermore. Brougham, the actor, is also a passenger) 
and has kept quite a company in a roar of laughter, this 
morning over Artemus Ward's travels. 



*o 



October 12th. — Yesterday the sea was more quiet, and 
the ladies again appeared on deck. It is not the cap- 
tain's fault that they are not always there, for he 
makes frequent tours among the births, striving to 
arouse the indolent and encourage the timid ones, and 
induce them to arise and get out into the invigorating 
salt air. To day we have had a storm, and all have been 
more or less confined to the cabins. Having neglected to 
go on board the Scotia the day before the sailing of the 
steamer from Liverpool, we failed to secure seats in the 
larger saloon ; but we were in some respects fortunate, 
as it is more quiet and retired in the fore saloon, and there 
is not so much motion. At the end of one of the tables 
sits the son of the mayor of Liverpool, who is going to 
make his first visit to America. How we should like, were 
it possible, to experience (for a single moment) the impres- 
sions made upon the mind of an intelligent man by a first 
sight of our native land ! 

Saturday, October 14th. — For two days we have had a 
high sea. Wind southwest and west. Shipped several 
heavy seas. We have been seeing the " Stormy Atlantic" 
in all its terror, strength, and glory. Our ship appears 
like a toy in the wild waste of waters, and it seems at 
times as though the great surging waves must go over our 
heads rather than under the keel of our noble vessel. 
This evening the ship received a tremendous slap from a 
wave, which brought all who were, in the forward cabin 
to their feet ; many of whom thought that something had 



DIART. 107 

happened, most assuredly ; but when they saw that the 
iron-hound monster went rushing on, ploughing the 
watery ridges, and throwing the masses of water to right 
and left, they were soon calmed, and felt greater confi- 
dence than ever in the " strong and stately vessel" that 
could " weather all disaster." And indeed it was a com- 
fort to know that the steamer was as perfect as all the 
combined forces of" earth, air, fire and water" could make 
it. But it was a greater to trust in Him whom " even 
the winds and the sea obey," and who could at any time 
" still the tempest." The prospect is, that we shall have 
a long and unpropitious voyage. 

Monday, October 16th. — Much speculation as to the time 
when we shall arrive. All wearied of the ship life, and, 
notwithstanding its " awful grandeur," of the ocean. In- 
deed Capt. Judkins himself informed us, a few evenings 
since, that although not sea-sick, he was himself sick of the 
sea, and talked of giving it up. But although ready to 
volunteer a remark now and then, our trusty captain is 
not so ready to be questioned ; and when some one asked 
him as to the truth of a certain story about the Scotia's 
just grazing an iceberg during a recent passage, his only 
answer was, that there were " a great many stories in the 
newspapers." 

October ISlh. — More pleasant weather. Yesterday 
some of the voyagers who have been invisible during 
almost the entire passage, made their appearance for 
the first time at the table ; and it is most cheering to 
see the tables filling up again. To-day we are only 
three hundred miles from New York ! All on board 



10S DIARY. 

much more cheerful and talkative, and conjecturing a:-, i 
the exact hour of the ship's arrival in port. The saloons 
arc very noisy ; but all cannot sympathize with the noise 
and hilarity. Some few have been sick since the ship 
left Liverpool, and some have other causes for sadness' j 
but all are greatly thankful that the voyage is about over, 
and well pleased to be nearing their homes. 

Thursday, October, 19th, 1865 — America! — Just as we 
awoke this morning the vessel was stopped, and a pilot 
came on board. Then we knew that we could not be 
far from land — our native land — our homes. Not many 
hours afterward we entered the noble bay of New York, 
and, as we passed the Narrows, saluted the Forts Hamil- 
ton and Columbus ; and after having received the health- 
warden on board, steamed rapidly up to the pier at Jersey 
City, and the noble ship poured forth its human freight. 
A few moments more, and many who had been long sepa- 
rated were looking into each other's eyes, clasping each 
other's hand?, embracing and kissing one another, and ex- 
hibiting all sorts of demonstrations of joy. But before all 
this took place— so inexorable is law, so supreme in its de- 
. mands over all affection and feeling is business — that friends 
and relatives who were in sight of one another, were not 
allowed to meet until more than a hundred mail bags had 
been first carried off from the ship. Yet there were those, 
no doubt, who were as anxiously waiting for some of the 
letters contained in those leathern bags as we were to pass 
the barrier that prevented us from having the satisfaction 
of touching those whom we so loved and longed to greet. 
Although the moments seemed very long, they were but 
brief; and presently we were at liberty to seek our homes, 



DIART. . 100 

.there to render thanks to God, who, during all our travels 
in foreign lands, and amid the dangers of the deep, had 
kept us securely, blest us greatly, and returned us, at the 
end of the fourth month from the time of our departure, 
to our prized though desolated homes. 

July 19th, I860. — The eight months that have elapsed 
since we completed our return voyage across the Atlantic 
have brought with them many changes, and, as is to be 
expected in this life, some most sad ones. Some of us 
who were passengers on board the fine ship Lafayette 
have met together most unexpectedly and quite recently 
in the house of mourning, to pay a last tribute of regard 
to the memory of one whose bright inquiring mind, cour- 
teous manners, and promising youth, had won our hearts, 
and whose pleasing, companionable ways and conduct had 
augmented our enjoyment of that first unequalled sea voy- 
age. Another, high in position, and who was at the time of 
our visit to the bright capital. of his kingdom, in the pos- 
session of life and health — the King of Belgium — is no 
more. The Princess Helena has become the wife of Prince 
Christian. War is raging in Germany, so that the harbors 
are blockaded, and visitors from the Old World must 
needs be, transported overland to Havre, in order that 
they may return to their homes. Vast improvements are 
progressing and have been completed in Paris, and the sur- 
face of the fine square of the Champ de Mars is being rapidly 
covered with light and elegant buildings, wherein is to be 
gathered the industry of all nations and the inhabitants Of 
all lands. The coils of the Atlantic Cable are being 
again laid upon the mountains and across the valleys of 
the dee}), and we may soon expect to read daily bu!i" 



110 • DIART. 

tins from London, Paris, Vienna, and Constantinople ! 
So multitudinous, and various, and momentous are the 
changes that are almost daily taking place in the great 
arena of the world, that it would seem almost a folly to 
write of the present, unless in view of its serving as his- 
tory, in a few short months, or, at most, years — not only 
physical, material changes, but those more powerful ones 
of mind. Had Alexander the Great been a victor of the 
world of mind, he need not have wept because more con- 
quests were impossible, and he might have been Alexaiv- 
der the Greatest God grant that all who have been 
interested in watching the progress of those great events, 
discoveries, and questions, which now interest the earnest, 
thinking part of mankind, may live to see the significance 
of those events made plain ; those discoveries in practical 
operation ; and those vexing problems satisfactorily solved. 
And yet may we all remember that the time cometh 
apace when " those who weep will be as though they 
wept not, and those that rejoice as though they rejoiced 
not." and when " all knowledge shall vanish away." 
Thankful for all those pleasures which may fall to our 
lot, may we yet strive to understand the great mystery 
of life, and so live that when the end of all things shall 
come to us, we may fearlessly and resignedly go forth to 
meet the future — life's duty done, 






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